# Judge Orders Bitcoin Wallet Returned to Family of Convicted Canadian Killer

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/judge-orders-bitcoin-wallet-returned-to-family-of-convicted-canadian-killer/
- Published: 2026-11-04T10:35:01+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T02:05:40+00:00
- Original publisher: Decrypt
- Original article: https://decrypt.co/382484/judge-orders-bitcoin-wallet-returned-to-family-of-convicted-canadian-killer
- Topics: Americas, Business, Crypto, World

## Key points

- A judge ordered the Bitcoin wallet laptop returned to Sandeson’s family.
- Prosecutors did not prove the cryptocurrency was linked to the crime.
- Seized cash will remain in government hands.

## Summary

A Nova Scotia judge has ordered police to return a laptop containing a Bitcoin wallet to the family of William Sandeson, who is serving a life sentence for killing fellow student Taylor Samson. The judge said prosecutors had not shown that the cryptocurrency was connected to the murder or drug deal, making the ruling significant to a separate dispute over the wallet’s ownership and value.

Justice John Bodurtha said the Crown’s suggestion that Bitcoin was used in the transaction was hypothetical. He ruled that about $3,600 (C$5,000) in cash seized from Sandeson’s apartment was offence-related and would not be returned. Sandeson estimated the Bitcoin was worth C$8,000 to C$10,000 at the time, while a lawyer for Samson’s family has said it may now be worth more than C$200,000; the amount in the wallet was not reported.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.