Canada - Richard Oland, 69, brutally murdered, St John, NB, 7 July 2011

[redheart]

Just pondering (while I’m supposed to be working hahaha.)

Why would you take a reusable grocery bag to carry a few genealogy reports to your father’s office on a sunny July afternoon? Unless you needed to carry a framing hammer and a lightweight sailing poncho… knock the victim unconscious, don the poncho, then finish off the job — that way a minimal amount of blood spatter gets transferred to your suit jacket pants and shoes. All sailing types carry around foul weather gear (waterproof jackets, pants, extra deck shoes) in their cars, and Saint John has a fair share of rain, mist and fog. MOO

As for the reusable Sobey’s bag being clean, who owns just one of those bags?

An unknown murderer probably wouldn’t care if blood spatter flew onto anything on that table, including the log book. The log book titled “The Island Camp” belongs to Connie Oland’s brother, Jack Connell. Maybe it was intentionally covered during the attack for that reason, out of respect for the Connell side of the family? Again, MOO.

Article regarding log book and other searches: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/more-searches-in-oland-homicide-1.1037660

JMO

I was thinking about a poncho too, Unscripted. We have one we take camping that is so lightweight it fits into a zippered bag about 10x15x4cms.

And very good points about the grocery bag.

 

[Arnie M]

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(My guess) the bag with genealogy info was maybe in the car all day , DO leaves his office with a large handful of what looks like business scratch pads they hand out to clients , maybe for his dad , puts them in the bag in the car and brings the whole works to fathers office.

Would be interesting to know if the secretary remembers seeing him carry the bag in . She remembered what he was wearing.

To me , the hardest thing to reconcile is how he could have removed any protective clothing and carry it away without a speck showing up anywhere other than his jacket. Not to forget the stained weapon .

On the other hand there were no reports of any other blood-spattered people seen walking down the street that evening .

 

[redheart]

Yes, that's a big concern too. If Dennis didn't do it, where is the real killer? And how did they manage to kill Richard in the tiny window between Dennis leaving and Richard's phone being shut off?

 

[Snoopster]

.

(My guess) the bag with genealogy info was maybe in the car all day , DO leaves his office with a large handful of what looks like business scratch pads they hand out to clients , maybe for his dad , puts them in the bag in the car and brings the whole works to fathers office.

Would be interesting to know if the secretary remembers seeing him carry the bag in . She remembered what he was wearing.

To me , the hardest thing to reconcile is how he could have removed any protective clothing and carry it away without a speck showing up anywhere other than his jacket. Not to forget the stained weapon .

On the other hand there were no reports of any other blood-spattered people seen walking down the street that evening .

Yup. It sounds like there was a violent physical crime....and yet not much splatter on DO.
On the other hand, he was there...he had motive...he behaved strangely after...he was incredibly chatty and not particularly concerned with the death of his father when being interviewed. Who knows what was going on?

I'm so torn! :gaah:

 

[redheart]

Yup. It sounds like there was a violent physical crime....and yet not much splatter on DO.
On the other hand, he was there...he had motive...he behaved strangely after...he was incredibly chatty and not particularly concerned with the death of his father when being interviewed. Who knows what was going on?

I'm so torn! :gaah:

You know, the scene is not as bloody as I thought. There's a big puddle where Richard was laying and a lot of splatter right around it and yes, some splatter further away, but overall I was expecting much more from the verbal descriptions.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/richard-oland-murder-scene-photographs-1.3262365

 

[redheart]

Did I miss any testimony about Richard's wounds - whether the experts thought it was a right handed or left handed person who inflicted the wounds? Or is that straight out of TV crime shows? I think Dennis is left handed.

 

[jillybean51]

I still would like to know why GM's blood was on a paper towel in the garbage.Blood was also detected in the sink.Was this ever identified as GM's as well? I find this odd although nothing was said about amount of blood.JMO

 

[jillybean51]

An interesting read
http://www.atlanticbusinessmagazine.net/article/spilled-secrets-the-richard-oland-murder-mystery/

 

[redheart]

I still would like to know why GM's blood was on a paper towel in the garbage.Blood was also detected in the sink.Was this ever identified as GM's as well? I find this odd although nothing was said about amount of blood.JMO

I know - there has been very little said about Galen's blood.

Blood found in the bathroom sink and on a paper towel in the bathroom garbage can outside Richard Oland's office was deemed "unconnected to this homicide," said Miller.

Smith confirmed it pre-dated Oland's killing and the DNA was traced to Galen McFadden, who had been helping Oland with a family history project that summer.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/oland-murder-trial-mark-smith-1.3260262

 

[Arnie M]

Computer specialist Geoffrey Fellows comes from England to testify for defense regarding the last activity on Richard's computer

Defense lawyer Alan Gold asked him when the last human activated use of computer was .... reply 5:39 pm , and nothing after that

Not sure how that helps the defense , quite the opposite , if there had been computer use after Dennis left the building would have looked much better from a defense perspective.

live updates http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/newbrunswick/story/1.3343138

 

[Sillybilly]

Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon
@BJMCBC

Judge tells jurors "there's been a misunderstanding," but "fairness to the trial" requires we adjourn until Tues 9:30am. Dismissed.

Court adjourned until tomorrow morning at 9:30.

 

[Sillybilly]

Computer specialist Geoffrey Fellows comes from England to testify for defense regarding the last activity on Richard's computer

Defense lawyer Alan Gold asked him when the last human activated use of computer was .... reply 5:39 pm , and nothing after that

Not sure how that helps the defense , quite the opposite , if there had been computer use after Dennis left the building would have looked much better from a defense perspective.

live updates http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/newbrunswick/story/1.3343138

In reading through Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon's tweets, I think what the defence is getting at is that some computer activity is undetectable, so although last detected activity of opening a page was 5:39, the page could have been closed 1 second or hours later and that activity would be undetectable.

ETA: Can't find my original link, but here's a tweet from another CBC reporter that supports the above:

from:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/dennis-oland-second-degree-murder-trial-1.3343138

Robert Jones
@cbcjones

Fellows says opening a document can be detected but closing a document can be an invisible act.

 

[Arnie M]

In reading through Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon's tweets, I think what the defence is getting at is that some computer activity is undetectable, so although last detected activity of opening a page was 5:39, the page could have been closed 1 second or hours later and that activity would be undetectable.

ETA: Can't find my original link, but here's a tweet from another CBC reporter that supports the above:

from:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/dennis-oland-second-degree-murder-trial-1.3343138

Yes , that is the way I understood it too , and I believe one of the computers was still on the next morning.

What I dont understand is why defense would call that expert when it does not help the defense , actually looks bad for him (If I was on the jury anyway) .... whereas if there had been even one "human triggered" computer action after 6:18 pm it would indicate Richard was alive after Dennis left.

The Lawyer should have left that sleeping dog alone .

 

[redheart]

Monday, November 30:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/oland-murder-trial-computer-1.3343397

Dennis Oland's defence team spent Monday attempting to dismiss the significance of the Crown's evidence that human activity on Richard Oland's office computer stopped minutes after his son came to visit him on the day police believe he was killed.

Forensic computer expert Geoffrey Fellows testified that Richard Oland could have been using his computer "for hours" after Dennis Oland left his office on July 6, 2011.

Although the last trace of human interaction with the victim's computer was at 5:39 p.m., there are several computer activities that can't be detected, said Fellows, who travelled from the United Kingdom to testify.

Under cross-examination by Crown prosecutor Derek Weaver, Fellows agreed that while the yachting web page could have been open "for hours," it could have also been open for only "one second."

Fellows also agreed that it wasn't a very "content heavy" web page and to "read it once wouldn't take very long."

Agreed, Arnie. Not sure why the high priced defense team would go there. Better not to draw any more attention to that little bit of info.

 

[Arnie M]

You know, the scene is not as bloody as I thought. There's a big puddle where Richard was laying and a lot of splatter right around it and yes, some splatter further away, but overall I was expecting much more from the verbal descriptions.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/richard-oland-murder-scene-photographs-1.3262365

My thoughts too ... I had envisioned a lot more blood spatter all over the office. I notice the floor protector under the desk has only a couple of drops of blood that appear to have dropped straight down , likely from the first blows while R.O. was standing or sitting at the desk

The rest of the blows happened when face down on the floor , spatter radiated away from the desk area , and someone standing where I drew foot prints could have been shielded from spatter by being on that side of the body .

All of a sudden it looks very possible the perp could have had minimum evidence on themselves.

.

 

[redheart]

I hadn't even noticed that about those blood drops being round, instead of elongated!

 

[Arnie M]

I hadn't even noticed that about those blood drops being round, instead of elongated!

Also I think the elongated and streaked spatter is not so much from the weapon . I think the first blows put him face down , then some blood pooled on the floor , and during the later blows the weapon made the head raise up and splat down an inch or so and squished the pool of blood outward , they are big heavy drops and only at floor level

Picture #12 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/richard-oland-murder-scene-photographs-1.3262365

.

 

[Arnie M]

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Reading the live tweets as Dennis testifies about the timeline during his two visits to the office and turns out he came back a THIRD time , Said he forgot to get the logbook Maureen had set on the table ... says he left at 6:30 .

He says that was when he went wrong way on one way street , in the police interview he said he went wrong way on the earlier trip.

I also notice he answers every question normally but when it comes to the ins and outs of his dads office he pre-phrases the answers with "I remember" which often indicates a fabricated answer

In my opinion Dennis should not have taken the stand . He is not helping his case , unless his lawyer has a blockbuster surprise up his sleeve or something.

 

[Arnie M]

......................................

Oland says he went from town to Renforth wharf to see if daughter was there. Saw a discarded beer bottle and picked it up.

Says he couldn't see to end of wharf. Got out of car. Says he saw 2 beer bottles. Picked them up, put them in his reusable grocery bag

Says bottle was Moosehead ale.

Can't remember if he threw bottles in garbage at wharf or at home. Drive home only about 5min. Upstairs, changed into shorts, Tshirt.

 

[Arnie M]

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Not sure if trial is done for today ... here are a few more odds and ends gleaned from the live updates

Shows him carrying a red Sobeys Compliments reusable grocery bag. "That's, as someone told me, my man purse," says Dennis. Laughter in court

Oland says the Our Compliments bag he carries in video is his "man purse". Carries it everywhere he says - doesn't like brief cases.

Oland's police interview is pretty clear. Two trips to his father's office with wrong way turn after first visit.

Today the story was three trips to the office with the wrong turn after the second visit.