A mistrial has been declared in the retrial of Dennis Oland for the second degree murder of his father.
The stunning development comes just over a month after jury selection was completed for the complex trial, which was expected to take at least four months.
Justice Terrence Morrison of the New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench announced the mistrial on Tuesday at what was expected to be the start of evidence presentation in Oland’s second trial for the 2011 bludgeoning death of his father, Richard Oland.
The 16-member jury has been dismissed, and the trial will continue Wednesday by judge alone.
Morrison said there were improprieties in the selection process.
Oland will have to be re-arraigned and enter his plea.
Then there will be opening arguments and, finally, the retrial of Dennis Oland will get underway.
“It cannot be helped,” Morrison told the jury as he thanked them for their service.
“Your services are no longer required.”
Richard Oland’s body was discovered on July 7, 2011, in his uptown Saint John office.
The 69-year-old businessman and former executive of Moosehead Breweries Ltd. had been beaten to death.
Dennis Oland, his only son, was charged with second-degree murder in 2013 and tried in 2015, but the jury verdict in that case was set aside on appeal in 2016 and a new trial ordered.
Read more: N.B. appeal court explains why it overturned Dennis Oland’s murder conviction
Read more: Dennis Oland expected in court today in murder case of multimillionaire father
The Canadian Press
