In Janson Baker’s double-murder trial, the jury hears closing arguments from the defense. Justice Cameron Gunn informs the panel that both sides will present their cases.
Defense attorney Brian Munro tells jurors the trial nears its end, but their decision will carry lifelong weight. “It’s going to stick with you,” Munro states in the Moncton, N.B., courtroom. He thanks the jury for enduring tense proceedings, including graphic crime details and photos. “This is a pressurized environment. It’s not a movie set. It’s not a TV show,” Munro emphasizes. “It’s a solemn occasion.”
Munro stresses the gravity of their role and the need for a precise verdict. “Bernard Saulnier was brutally killed. Rose-Marie Saulnier was brutally killed,” he says, urging close examination of evidence. “If you do that, you’ll find Janson Baker not guilty of both offences.”
Baker faces two counts of second-degree murder for the Sept. 7, 2019, shootings of 78-year-old Bernard Saulnier and 74-year-old Rose-Marie Saulnier in their Dieppe, N.B., home. Baker testified last week, denying involvement in the deaths.
“You have to have proof beyond a reasonable doubt. If you don’t have it, not guilty,” Munro instructs the jury.
Lack of Forensic Evidence
Munro highlights the absence of forensic links to Baker. “Where’s the proof? Where’s the proof that he was in that house that night?” he asks. “You won’t find it.”
Zack Trevors, a friend, testified Baker drove him in a silver Hyundai Sonata to the Saulniers’ home on the murder morning. Trevors claimed he saw Baker enter the house, followed by screams and gunshots. Munro questions the lack of blood splatter or DNA in the examined vehicle. “It’s not there,” he notes. No evidence places Baker in the car at the exact time except Trevors’ account.
Photos show Baker wearing a gold chain at 4:30 a.m. that day; court heard Bernard’s chain was stolen. Munro argues the images and Baker’s appearance prove nothing. Police thoroughly searched the Amirault Street scene but found no physical evidence tying Baker to the home. “There’s no physical evidence of any kind against Janson Baker in this case,” Munro asserts.
J-Trilogy Raids and Suspects
On Aug. 28, 2019, RCMP raids targeted five New Brunswick properties, mainly in Moncton, under Operation J-Trilogy. Jesse Logue faced weapons and drug charges. Munro discusses Logue, girlfriend Monique Boyer, Nick Bain, and Chris Lennon—names prominent in trial evidence like jail recordings and Facebook messages about the busts.
Sylvio Saulnier, son of the victims, owned a raided Moncton duplex. Logue’s group suspected him as a police informant. “They were big-time players in the province of New Brunswick,” Munro describes, noting their violent histories. “This group were prepared to kill. These people don’t fool around.”
Baker had no ties to Logue, Lennon, or Boyer but knew Bain through drug sales, which he described as business-only.
Questioning Crown Witnesses
Munro advises jurors to weigh testimony selectively over eight weeks. “When it comes to Zack Trevors, reject all of it. It’s not believable,” he says, citing Trevors’ violent background and unrevealed Bain ties via messages.
Another witness, protected by publication ban, claimed Baker confessed in jail. Munro deems him unreliable amid inconsistencies and personal issues. “There’s all kinds of baggage with him.”
Munro portrays the killings as an execution-style hit beyond Baker’s capability. “It takes a certain kind of evil monster to do this. Mr. Baker is not an evil monster.” He presses jurors to resist pressure and recognize the Crown’s failure to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Baker attends in a grey jacket and tie, supported by family including his mother. Victims’ friends and relatives fill the other side, present daily since Jan. 6. The Crown delivers closing arguments Wednesday afternoon.
