A Desperate Epidemic
In the summer of 1959, Québec faced a severe polio epidemic with over a thousand cases. As vaccine supplies dwindled, panic gripped Montréal, and residents waited in mile-long lines for protection. Amid this, vaccine worker Jean Paul Robinson saw an opportunity.
The Daring Robbery
On August 31, 1959, Robinson and two accomplices broke into the University of Montréal’s Microbiology Institute. They locked the guard in a cage with lab monkeys, stole 75,000 vials of polio vaccine, and fled in the guard’s car. Valued at $50,000, the stolen vaccines were hidden in an empty apartment.
A Bizarre Recovery
Struggling to sell the vaccine and fearing discovery, Robinson tipped off police, posing as a concerned citizen. Authorities recovered the vials, but testing delays rendered them unusable during the epidemic. Public outrage followed as infections surged.
A Trial Without Conviction
Police tied Robinson to the crime, but during his trial, he claimed innocence, blaming a mysterious man named “Bob.” With weak evidence and a recanted witness statement, Robinson was acquitted, leaving one of Canada’s strangest crimes unresolved.
In the summer of 1959, Québec faced a severe polio epidemic with over a thousand cases. As vaccine supplies dwindled, panic gripped Montréal, and residents waited in mile-long lines for protection. Amid this, vaccine worker Jean Paul Robinson saw an opportunity. pic.twitter.com/gfjRKh2Hbj
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) November 27, 2024