Sixty-five years after William Lipsett’s cousin was killed in what is believed to be a hit-and-run, the former Westlock County resident continues to search for answers.
Lipsett, who was born in Edmonton but grew up in the Fawcett area, now resides in Wiltshire, England with his wife Andrea. The two of them were in Alberta visiting family and friends in August and were researching family history, including looking for more information about what really happened to his second cousin, 19-year-old Larry Bouvette of Fawcett in October 1959.
Lipsett said he attended R.F. Staples School and was a paper carrier for the Westlock News. The family also lived in town for a short time before moving to British Columbia. He then went overseas as a young man, and met his future wife.
While visiting Westlock, the Lipsetts dove into the archives of the Westlock News, looking through old newspaper articles in hopes of finding details on the event in October 1959 that took the life of his second cousin.
“I feel like I’m committing more of a favour to him … I thought there was an injustice done on the part of that young boy,” said the 72-year-old Lipsett. “There was something that took place. They didn’t know what it was, but an investigation did go forward with it.”
Several members of the family, including Lipsett, have questioned the way Bouvette is said to have died, in an apparent hit-and-run on Highway 44 near Fawcett on Oct. 9, 1959. The Westlock News reported the death in the Oct. 14, 1959 edition.
Lipsett said he and his wife travelled to Alberta this summer and wanted to re-visit his cousin’s death and the circumstances surrounding it, with hopes that someone in the region, perhaps “someone from the past” might hear or read about Lipsett’s story and may be able to recall details of what happened that fall night in 1959.
“As long as his story gets told again and how he really died,” said Lipsett.
Years ago, Lipsett said he was told by family members that there was an altercation between Larry and some other people that occurred in a coffee shop or a hangout place in Fawcett, and although he is unclear of exactly where and how it took place, he is certain the outcome of that altercation resulted either directly or indirectly, in his cousin’s untimely death.
“Something took place that night where he left and he was on the highway and it would have been very shortly (after) someone came to finish the argument,” said Lipsett, noting that from the information passed down to him and details in the Westlock News article, the injuries on his cousin were not consistent with a one-time hit and run. Instead, Lipsett noted that the kind of injuries Bouvette had endured would have come from a car “sitting on top” of someone and “something heavy going over top of your body” possibly crushing him and breaking bones.
“If it hit (him), he would have been in a different spot altogether. They wouldn’t have found him right away,” he added, pointing out how the roads were back then. “There was no shoulders to park on. It was a very dark road and it was a lot smaller than what it is now.”
Lipsett and other family members believe that someone may have moved his cousin body and he was possibly beaten and run over by a vehicle.
While in Alberta, Lipsett visited the RCMP to try and track down old police reports or medical records as well, to assist him with his research and inquiry. Town and Country This Week also reached out to the RCMP for details and are awaiting a response.
“The altercation that took place was investigated by RCMP. There was only two town police (constables) at the time,” explained Lipsett.
Bouvette’s grave is located in Fawcett and Lipsett had a special connection with his cousin Larry, which is part of the reason why he wants to find out what really happened to his 19-year-old cousin, who he considers his hero.
“It was by the French Creek in Fawcett. In those times, that was quite a place to be and the river was a lot wider and a lot deeper,” said Lipsett noting he was four-years old during a family gathering at the river. “Somebody heard a splash and they looked and I wasn’t there so my cousin Larry went in and found me and pulled me out. That’s why I’m here today.”
During his research, Lipsett noted that RCMP also “found something wrong” in what they learned in their investigation in 1959. He said RCMP questioned locals at the time, however, to this day and to his knowledge, no charges have ever been laid in the death of Larry Bouvette.
“Somebody somewhere may be still alive and know something,” said Lipsett. “If they saw or heard something and was too scared to say anything, if there was something written in a diary someplace, anything like that or any past knowledge. That would help to let him rest in peace.”
