Crown closes case in Moncton double-murder trial

The Crown wrapped up its case in the Moncton double-murder trial on Thursday.

A forensic pathologist who performed the autopsies on Bernard and Rose-Marie Saulnier testified Thursday in Janson Baker’s double-murder trial in Moncton, N.B.

Dr. Ken Obenson was the Crown’s last witness as its case came to a conclusion a little over a month after it began.

Baker has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 78-year-old Bernard Saulnier and his wife, 74-year-old Rose-Marie Saulnier.

The Saulniers were both shot in the head and killed inside their Dieppe home during the early morning hours of Sept. 7, 2019.

Obenson, who has conducted more than 3,000 autopsies in his career, testified for roughly 40 minutes during the afternoon session.

Bernard’s autopsy took place at the Saint John Regional Hospital on Sept. 9, 2019.

“He was wearing blood-soaked pajamas,” Obenson told the jury.

Obenson pointed to his eye to show the jury where the fatal entry wound was on Bernard’s body.

“He had a gunshot wound on the left side of his eye,” said Oberson.

The expert witness said Bernard’s death was a homicide.

Crown prosecutor Brad Burgess asked the witness what the estimated time of death might have been.

“Fairly quick,” said Obenson.

On Sept. 10, Obenson performed an autopsy on Rose-Marie.

Once again, he showed the jury where the entrance wound was by pointing to an area just in front of his right ear.

“A gunshot wound to the head,” said Oberson. “Homicide.”

Burgess again asked how long it would have taken the victim to die after being shot.

“Fairly quickly,” said Obenson.

Baker, wearing a navy jacket and tie, took notes during Obenson’s testimony.

After a brief cross-examination by the defence, Justice Cameron Gunn asked Burgess if he wanted to re-examine the witness.

“No, Mr. Justice, that’s the case for the Crown,” said Burgess.

The 14-person jury was excused until Tuesday.

Fingerprint expert

During the morning session, RCMP Sgt. Louis Bedard continued his testimony as a fingerprint expert.

Bedard explained to the jury in general terms about the process of lifting fingerprints from a crime scene and analyzing them.

He took the courtroom through his analysis of a photo of a Janson Baker fingerprint that was lifted off a CD and how he compared it to a separate fingerprint of Baker’s.

Court previously heard testimony a CD from rap artist Gucci Mane was found in a silver Hyundai Sonata.

Crown witness Zach Trevors earlier testified that Baker drove him to the Saulniers’ Dieppe neighbourhood in a silver Hyundai Sonata during the morning of the murders.

The vehicle was found abandoned in a Moncton neighbourhood about three weeks after the Saulniers were killed and the CD was eventually seized as evidence.

“Is it fair to say in plain English that both of these prints belong to Janson Baker?” asked Burgess.

“Yes,” said Bedard.

During cross-examination, Bedard said he was only asked to analyze the photo of the fingerprint lifted from the CD and not from the Saulniers’ Dieppe home.

The defence begins its case next week.

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