A Moncton jury has received critical context regarding the events leading up to the 2019 deaths of Bernard and Rose-Marie Saulnier. Testimony provided this week detailed a massive police crackdown on a regional drug network just ten days before the elderly couple was found dead in their Dieppe home.
The ‘J-Trilogy’ Investigation and the Saulnier Connection
The court heard from lead investigators about an operation codenamed “J-Trilogy,” which targeted a sophisticated drug trafficking ring allegedly led by Jesse Logue. The investigation, which began in early 2019, utilized wiretaps, undercover operations, and physical surveillance to map out the organization’s hierarchy.
According to investigators, the network operated out of a Moncton duplex owned by Sylvio Saulnier, the son of the victims. Evidence suggested that Sylvio served as the group’s financial manager, with drug proceeds flowing into bank accounts under his name. The duplex featured a fortified steel door with a transaction slot and even utilized timecards for employees working the “drug house” shifts.
A Deadly Rift Within the Network
The police operation culminated in a series of simultaneous raids on August 28, 2019, resulting in multiple arrests and the seizure of firearms and crystal meth. While Sylvio Saulnier was not initially detained during the raids, the fallout from the police action created a lethal atmosphere of suspicion within the criminal organization.
The prosecution alleges that members of the drug network began to suspect Sylvio had cooperated with authorities. This suspicion reportedly led to a directive for Janson Baker, who is currently facing two counts of first-degree murder, to find and kill Sylvio Saulnier. However, on September 7, 2019, it was Sylvio’s parents, Bernard, 78, and Rose-Marie, 74, who were discovered deceased.
Key Evidence and Testimony
Jurors were presented with evidence linking the accused to a residence in Lake George, west of Fredericton, where he had been staying with another associate, Nicholas Bain. The Crown contends that Bain directed the hit and later compensated Baker with a gold chain and cocaine.
Forensic investigators testified about items recovered from a fire pit at the Lake George property, including a partially destroyed license plate associated with a silver Hyundai Sonata. A vehicle matching that description was reportedly seen near the crime scene, and investigators previously noted a fingerprint belonging to Baker was found on a CD inside a similar car.
Unresolved Questions and Related Disappearances
The trial also touched upon the volatile environment following the raids. Monique Boyer, an associate of the group, allegedly threatened Sylvio Saulnier and his parents shortly before the murders. She was later arrested in connection with those threats.
Furthermore, the jury heard about the suspicious disappearance of Brady Sherman-Tompkins, another individual linked to the drug house. Sherman-Tompkins went missing less than two weeks after the Saulniers were killed; his disappearance was later reclassified as a homicide and remains unsolved.
Sylvio Saulnier was eventually charged in relation to the drug network, but he died by suicide before he could stand trial. Janson Baker has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges, and the trial is expected to continue as the jury examines further forensic evidence and witness testimonies.
