4 years after Dieppe couple killed, man faces 1st-degree murder charges

A man has been charged with killing a Dieppe couple who were found dead in their home exactly four years ago.

Janson Bryan Baker, 27, was charged Thursday in Moncton provincial court with first-degree murder. 

It's alleged he killed 78-year-old Bernard and 74-year-old Rose-Marie Saulnier on Sept. 7, 2019. Baker is due back in court Sept. 14.

"This has been an exceptionally complex investigation," RCMP Staff-Sgt. Jean-Marc Paré said at a news conference in Dieppe on Thursday afternoon. 

"This was a terrible crime against two well-loved people."

In a statement released through the RCMP, the couple's son Luc Saulnier thanked police. 

"The charges laid today mean that we are one step closer in getting answers and closure for the deaths of my parents," Luc Saulnier said.

First-degree murder is a homicide that's both planned and deliberate.

Police said that tips from the public and other steps meant they were able to gather enough evidence to lay charges, though they wouldn't elaborate on any details.

Police also declined to answer a question about a motive, saying that information would come out in court.

RCMP Insp. Chantal Arsenault-Farrah told reporters that Baker was linked to people investigated as part of Operation J-Trilogy, which targeted a drug trafficking network led by Jesse Todd Logue.

Arsenault-Farrah added that it would be inappropriate to make any further links between J-Trilogy and the deaths of Bernard and Rose-Marie. 

The J-Trilogy investigation led to a series of raids at locations in Moncton and other parts of the province Aug. 28, 2019, days before the couple were killed. 

One of the locations raided was a Dominion Street home owned by the couple's son Sylvio Saulnier. He later faced various drug charges but died earlier this year before going on trial. 

During the news conference, officers said the investigation remains open.

They declined to say if others are being investigated in connection with the deaths of the couple. 

"The matter is not closed, it's still under investigation, and I can't really elaborate on a whole lot of where this is going, as it's before the courts," Paré said.

Court documents list Baker's address as the Atlantic Institution, a maximum security prison in Renous. He is originally from Moncton.

Until Thursday, there had been little indication of progress in the case. 

After the Saulniers were killed, RCMP said their deaths were not random. However, police had not said if they had a suspect. 

Police over the years had issued news releases and photos asking the public for help identifying vehicles or items in connection with the case. 

Last year, police issued a news release asking the public for help in identifying jewelry they believe belonged to the couple.

Police said several items were found during an investigation of a suspicious fire on May 19, 2020, in a fire pit at a home on Route 635, in Lake George, a community located about 45 kilometres west of Fredericton.

Baker is scheduled to stand trial on various other charges in the coming months. He's accused of attempting to murder a teacher in Riverview on Jan. 5, 2021.

Police have said teacher Christopher Leger was leaving Riverview High School that evening when Baker allegedly approached him and demanded he hand over the bag he was carrying. 

Baker then allegedly pulled out a gun and fired it, RCMP have said.

RCMP directly issued an emergency alert for the first time in New Brunswick as they searched for Baker, who was later arrested in Amherst, N.S.

His trial in that case is for January 2024 before a judge alone.

RCMP said Thursday that they don't believe there is any link between the alleged Riverview shooting and the deaths of the Saulniers.

Rose-Marie Saulnier was born in Memramcook East but lived most of her life in Dieppe and had a degree in nursing, her obituary said. She also held a bachelor's degree in applied science in nutrition and owned Natural Choice Health Centre.

Bernard Saulnier was a past president of Acadia Electric and was involved with the Dieppe Rotary Club and a New Brunswick construction association, according to his obituary. 

Bernard was "a very generous person in helping various people in career choices and business success," his obituary states. 

Dieppe Mayor Yvon Lapierre, who knew the couple, attended the RCMP news conference. He said he lived near the couple and recalled they were the first people to let him put an election sign on their lawn when he first ran for council. 

He told reporters that he's happy to see progress in the case. 

"I understand that things take time, particularly a complex situation like this one," Lapierre said.