A New Brunswick man who spent decades fighting a wrongful murder conviction that landed him and a friend behind bars had only a few months to relish his victory, the organization that helped in his legal battle said Saturday as it announced his death.

Innocence Canada, which led the legal fight to exonerate Walter Gillespie and his friend Robert Mailman of their 1984 murder convictions, said Gillespie died Friday in his home in Saint John, N.B., at the age of 80.

Founding director James Lockyer lamented the fact that Gillespie had such a brief time to enjoy the fruits of his decades-long fight.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very sad,害羞草研究所� Lockyer said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 just glad that he managed to have his name cleared before he died. That was so important to him.害羞草研究所�

Details about Gillespie害羞草研究所檚 cause of death were not immediately known.

In January, New Brunswick Court of King害羞草研究所檚 Bench Chief Justice Tracey DeWare acquitted Gillespie and Mailman, 76, of the 1983 murder of Saint John resident George Leeman and apologized for the 害羞草研究所渕iscarriage of justice.害羞草研究所�

Her ruling came after federal Justice Minister Arif Virani ordered a new trial on Dec. 22, saying evidence had surfaced that called into question 害羞草研究所渢he overall fairness of the process.害羞草研究所�

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Ron Dalton, now co-president of Innocence Canada, took up the men害羞草研究所檚 case when he was fighting for freedom from his own wrongful conviction.

He called Gillespie a 害羞草研究所渟tudy in strength of character and friendship.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淔or 40 years (Gillespie) refused to falsely implicate his friend, Robert Mailman, and paid dearly with his freedom,害羞草研究所� Dalton said. 害羞草研究所淎 sad end to a difficult but honourable life.害羞草研究所�

In an interview in January, about a week after he was formally exonerated, Gillespie recounted the offer of freedom dangled before him a year after Leeman害羞草研究所檚 murder.

He said he was told by Saint John police that if he signed a statement against Mailman, he would be charged with aiding and abetting and only face three years in prison.

害羞草研究所淚 said I was not going to do that,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所�(The officer) said, 害羞草研究所榠f you害羞草研究所檙e going to protect (Mailman), you害羞草研究所檙e going down with him.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

He spent 21 years in prison.

Gillespie was born on Aug. 31, 1943, in Saint John and had a Grade 6 education. Most of his immediate family died in a house fire when he was about 20.

His friendship with Mailman predated their shared legal ordeal. The men previously told The Canadian Press they met in 1961, with Gillespie joking Mailman was checking out his then-girlfriend during one of their first encounters.

They became inseparable after their wrongful convictions, speaking to each other every day for decades.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e been joined at the hip for over 40 years through this. And he害羞草研究所檚 like a brother,害羞草研究所� Mailman said of his friend.

Mailman was not available for comment on Gillespie害羞草研究所檚 death on Saturday, but said through Dalton that he hadn害羞草研究所檛 been able to sleep well after learning the news.

In an earlier interview, Mailman described the friend he called Wally as a man of few words.

害羞草研究所淵ou never bother a sleeping junkyard dog,害羞草研究所� he said with a laugh.

Gillespie is survived by a daughter with whom he only recently began to reconnect.

害羞草研究所淲e haven害羞草研究所檛 connected for almost the last 40 years,害羞草研究所� he said shortly after having his name cleared. 害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克�� I害羞草研究所檓 hoping I can help her out if we can get any money or anything like that. I talked quite a bit with her over the last couple days or so. Oh, it feels great.害羞草研究所�

The New Brunswick government reached a settlement with the two men on March 1 for an undisclosed sum.

While on parole, Gillespie lived at a halfway house where he also worked as a cleaner for 15 hours a week.

After being declared innocent, he moved to an apartment in Saint John for which he paid $800 a month. The former hotel room he described as a jail cell was cramped even with his minimal belongings, brightened only by his own colourful paintings and the set of white towels and a white tea kettle Mailman gave him as housewarming gifts.

害羞草研究所淲ally shouldn害羞草研究所檛 have to come out of the prison 害羞草研究所� and to a halfway house all them years, only to go into a place that害羞草研究所檚 even worse than he left behind,害羞草研究所� Mailman said of his friend害羞草研究所檚 spartan quarters.

When Mailman was diagnosed with terminal cancer last November, Gillespie was the first person he called.

Gillespie signed out of the halfway house for a day and spent it with his friend as he learned of the life-changing diagnosis.

Apart from his quiet conviction and strength of character, Dalton recalled Gillespie害羞草研究所檚 love of American author Zane Grey害羞草研究所檚 westerns and his voracious reading habits. He also remembered Gillespie害羞草研究所檚 flashy fashion sense, noting his penchant for bright colours and the black patent shoes he saved for a special occasion and finally wore to court on the day his name was cleared.

But he said Gillespie害羞草研究所檚 most enduring impact stems from his efforts to uphold justice in Canada害羞草研究所檚 correctional system.

害羞草研究所淢r. Gillespie helped raise awareness of wrongful convictions in this country and that will be a part of his legacy.害羞草研究所�

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press