A jury was chosen on Saturday in Moncton for the trial of a 29-year-old individual accused of murdering a couple in Dieppe in 2019. Janson Bryan Baker, 29, is facing two charges of first-degree murder for allegedly killing Bernard Saulnier, 78, and his wife Rose-Marie Saulnier, 74, on September 7, 2019, in Dieppe. Baker entered a formal plea of not guilty to the charges as jury selection commenced on Saturday morning and concluded after 7 p.m.
The Crown is expected to present its opening statement on Tuesday morning, providing an outline of the evidence that jurors will hear during the trial. The deaths of the Saulniers shocked the community and raised concerns about the progress of the case in the subsequent years as authorities conducted investigations with limited public disclosure.
Baker was charged in September 2023, marking the fourth anniversary of the discovery of the Saulniers’ bodies in their home on Amirault Street. The cause of their deaths has not been disclosed. Rose-Marie Saulnier was the proprietor of Natural Choice Health Centre in Dieppe and later worked as a nutritionist, herbalist, and naturotherapist at Sequoia Dieppe. Bernard Saulnier, a former president of Acadia Electric, was involved with the Dieppe Rotary Club and a construction association in New Brunswick, according to his obituary.
The couple had two sons, Sylvio Saulnier and Luc Saulnier. Sylvio passed away in 2023, with authorities stating that his death was non-criminal in nature. A standard publication ban restricts reporting on the court proceedings leading up to the trial, which is scheduled to last for three months.
Jury summonses were sent to 1,000 individuals, as confirmed by a Department of Justice spokesperson. Although uncommon, jury selection taking place on a Saturday has occurred previously in Moncton, allowing for the utilization of court facilities, technology, and parking capacity.
Four courtrooms were utilized for jury selection, with hundreds of individuals seated in benches across the rooms connected by audio and video. Sixteen jurors, including two alternates, were selected after lawyers requested a larger jury than the standard 12 people. Justice Cameron Gunn, typically based in Woodstock, N.B., is presiding over the trial. Baker is being represented by defence lawyer Brian Munro from Saint John, while the Crown is represented by James McConnell, Bradley Burgess, and Victoria Quirk.
The charges of first-degree murder against Baker involve a planned and deliberate homicide, carrying an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years upon conviction.
