A jury has been chosen in Moncton for the trial of a 29-year-old individual accused of the 2019 murder of a couple in Dieppe. Janson Bryan Baker is facing two counts of first-degree murder for the alleged killings of Bernard Saulnier, 78, and Rose-Marie Saulnier, 74.
During the commencement of jury selection on Saturday, Baker formally entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. The process of selecting jurors concluded late in the evening after progressing throughout the day. The Crown is anticipated to present its opening statement on Tuesday morning, outlining the evidence that will be presented during the trial.
The deaths of the Saulniers caused shock within the community and raised concerns about the progression of the case as authorities conducted investigations with minimal public disclosures. Baker was charged in September 2023, precisely four years after the discovery of the couple’s bodies in their residence on Amirault Street. The exact cause of their deaths remains undisclosed.
Rose-Marie Saulnier, a former owner of Natural Choice Health Centre in Dieppe, later pursued a career as a nutritionist, herbalist, and naturotherapist at Sequoia Dieppe. Bernard Saulnier, on the other hand, had a professional background as the past president of Acadia Electric and was actively involved in organizations like the Dieppe Rotary Club and a construction association in New Brunswick.
The couple had two sons, Sylvio Saulnier and Luc Saulnier. Sylvio passed away in 2023 under circumstances deemed non-criminal by the authorities. A publication ban has restricted the reporting of specific court proceedings leading up to the trial, which is scheduled to span three months.
Jury summonses were dispatched to 1,000 individuals, as confirmed by a Department of Justice representative. While uncommon, jury selection on a Saturday was deemed necessary to utilize court facilities effectively, accommodate larger groups, and streamline logistical operations without hindering weekday activities.
Four courtrooms were utilized during jury selection, where a large number of individuals were present to participate in the process. Following a random selection order, potential jurors were individually called into the main courtroom for questioning, the details of which are protected by a publication ban. The jury ultimately comprised sixteen members, including two alternates, at the request of the legal parties involved.
Justice Cameron Gunn from Woodstock, N.B., is presiding over the trial, with defense counsel provided by Saint John lawyer Brian Munro. The prosecution team for the Crown consists of James McConnell, Bradley Burgess, and Victoria Quirk. First-degree murder charges, as faced by Baker, involve intentional and premeditated acts of homicide, carrying a mandatory life sentence with no opportunity for parole for a minimum of 25 years.