Defence sees lack of evidence linking Baker to double murder as Crown urges conviction

Janson Baker’s defence lawyer told jurors that a lack of forensic evidence and unbelievable prosecution witnesses should result in his acquittal on two murder charges. 

"It takes a certain kind of evil monster to do this," defence lawyer Brian Munro said about the killings.

"Mr. Baker is not an evil monster."

The defence was the first to offer closing arguments Wednesday to the 14 jurors in Baker's trial, which began Jan. 3 in Moncton. 

The 29-year-old is accused of two counts of first-degree murder. It's alleged he killed Bernard Saulnier, 78, and his wife, 74-year-old Rose-Marie Saulnier in their Dieppe home on Sept. 7, 2019.

Prosecutor Brad Burgess addressed the jury Wednesday afternoon, telling them the Crown alleges the killings were first-degree murders because Baker forcibly confined the couple at gunpoint. 

As he spoke, TVs in the courtroom showed photos and video of the Saulnier home and other evidence presented in the trial. 

"A helpless elderly couple, confined and murdered. Murdered by Janson Baker," Burgess said as video of the couple’s bodies played on the screens.

He pointed to open drawers, a TV on, and a file cabinet in the basement that match testimony of witnesses in the trial that Baker’s lawyer told jurors can’t be believed.

Burgess acknowledged inconsistencies in some of the witness testimony, such as how one witness said a car driven by Baker was black while others said it was grey.

He also said another inconsistency is that the murder weapon was one calibre of a revolver while casings found at the scene were of a different calibre.

"There are things about this case that we don't know, and that we probably will never know," Burgess said, adding this doesn’t mean the Crown hasn’t proven Baker committed the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Earlier in the day, Munro told the jurors the jury should largely reject the testimony from those two witnesses. 

One man, who cannot be named because of a publication ban, testified Baker confessed to the killings during a series of conversations while both were in prison.