Court, families still await verdict in double-murder trial in Moncton

Janson Baker is pictured. (Source: New Brunswick Crown exhibit)

There’s still no verdict in the Janson Baker double murder trial.

The jury continued deliberations for a third day on Saturday but remain sequestered.

Justice Camron Gunn told the court at 8 p.m. the jury was tired and wished to retire to their hotel for the evening.

The jury began deliberations late Thursday afternoon but asked Gunn to have the audio of the testimony of the three Crown witnesses replayed.

Gunn granted that request and on Friday the testimony of Zachary Trevors and his former girlfriend Alicia Mehlenbacher was played back.

Saturday, the jury heard audio testimony from Jan. 12 from a witness who cannot be named due to a publication ban.

Baker and the witness were once incarcerated at the same institution.

The witness told the court Baker admitted to him he was responsible for the killings.

“He told me that he was responsible for a double murder in Dieppe,” the witness said during his testimony on Jan. 12.

The witness testified Baker and Trevors went to the Saulnier’s home the morning of the killings.

He said Baker told him that he broke into the Saulnier’s home while wearing a clown mask and was confronted by the couple.

According to the witness’s testimony, Baker told him Bernard Saulnier said, “You’re going to regret this,” but Baker told the couple to “get down” and shot them both.

The witness said Baker told him Rose-Marie screamed.

“She put her hands on her cheeks and screamed,” the witness said Baker told him. “He said he had nightmares about that.”

The witness said Baker stole a solid gold watch and gold chain off of Bernard’s body and later torched the weapon and threw the pieces in the woods outside a home in the Fredericton area.

The witness admitted he shared the information with the RCMP’s Major Crime Unit in exchange for a reduced sentence.

He also admitted that he contacted Sylvio Saulnier, son of Bernard and Rose-Marie, about possibly selling the information to him.

Many members of the jury were taking notes and around a dozen family members and friends of the Saulniers were present.

The jury is expected to continue deliberations on Sunday.

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