Moncton double-murder trial enters fifth week

The jury at the double-murder trial in Moncton saw graphic photos on Monday.

The fifth week of the Janson Baker double-murder trial in Moncton began with the cross examination of a civilian member of the RCMP who analyzed thousands of Facebook messages as part of the homicide investigation of Bernard and Rose-Marie Saulnier.

Lianne Sobey previously testified about Facebook messages sent in the days following a major drug raid across the province on Aug. 28, 2019.

Many of those messages revolved around the arrest of Jesse Logue, who was charged with drug and firearm offences following the massive police operation.

Court heard associates of Logue were communicating back and forth on Facebook in the days leading up to the murders of the Saulniers.

Those associates are Monique Boyer, Logue’s girlfriend, Chris Lennon and Nick Bain.

Bain, Boyer and Lennon have all come up numerous times during the trial.

When Crown attorney James McConnell re-examined Sobey, he asked about Brady Tompkins, an associate of Boyer, Bain, Lennon and Logue.

His name has also come up during the trial.

“Right now he’s missing, believed dead,” said Sobey.

The Saulniers were shot and killed in their Dieppe home on Sept. 7, 2019.

The couple’s son, Sylvio, came up frequently in the Facebook messages.

Court had already heard that Sylvio Saulnier was involved in the drug trade and was the owner of a downtown Moncton duplex raided by police on Aug. 28, 2019, ten days before the murders.

Baker has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of the elderly couple.

The next witness was retired RCMP Cpl. Patrick Gould, a forensic specialist who was recalled to the stand.

Gould worked extensively on the investigation and photographed the inside of the Amirault Street home.

Defence attorney Brian Munro told the court they would see a series of photos during the afternoon session.

“Some of them are sensitive, some of them are not,” said Munro.

Cross examination lasted most of the afternoon with Munro asking specific questions about how Gould processed the crime scene inside the Saulnier’s home

Photos of Bernard Saulnier’s body were shown in court as well as pools of blood and blood splatter on the walls.

The day ended with court hearing pre-recorded testimony from Irma McIntyre, a neighbour of the Saulniers’, who said she heard a loud scream the morning of the murders.

McIntyre said she was woken up by a noise around 2 a.m. on Sept. 7, 2019.

She then heard a scream.

“Just one scream. Very loud and then after that there was nothing else,” said McIntyre.

McIntyre testified she found the scream startling, but didn’t know where it was coming from and went back to bed.

The trial is expected to continue on Tuesday.

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