Witnesses describe seeing Dennis Oland pick up mystery object at wharf

DennisOland was seen picking something up off the ground at RenforthWharf in Rothesay andputting the itemin a reusable grocery bagon the night Saint John police believe his fatherwas killed.

Barbara Murray andDouglas LeBlancwere sitting in a parked minivan at the wharf onJuly 6, 2011 whenthey saw Oland on the wharf. That'saccording to an agreed statement of facts, read intoevidence at hissecond-degree murder trial on Thursday.

Murray and LeBlanc did not see him throw anything away, or leave anything there, the courtroom heard.

Police subsequently searched the area for a possible weapon and Richard Oland'smissing iPhone, but neither was ever found.

It's not yet clear what the accused picked up, but he admits it was him the couple saw"walking briskly" that night.

That admissionmeansMurray and LeBlanc won't have to testify at the trial, which should help shorten the duration, Justice John Walsh has said.

The trial, which started on Sept 16, is currently scheduled to run until Dec. 18, making it one of the longest criminal trials in New Brunswick history.

It will not be sittingon Friday, but will resume on Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Saint John Law Courts building.

Sat down sidewaysat end of wharf

Richard Oland'sbludgeoned body was discovered lying face down in a pool of blood in his investment firm office on July 7, 2011.

The 69-year-old prominent businessman had suffered 45 sharp and blunt force injuries to his head, neck and hands.

Dennis Oland, 47, who was the last known person to see his father alive during a meeting at his uptown Saint John office the night before, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

Murray andLeBlancdidn't know it wasthe accusedthey saw at the wharfthat night.

Murray described seeing a Caucasian man, about five-foot-eight to five-foot-nine, 160 to 165 pounds, with dark hair and a dark complexion, sometime between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

He was "dressed very nice," wearing a dark green sports jacket and tan or olive slacks, and carrying a green and yellowreusableSobeysbag with a kiwi on it,she said.

He opened the bag andtook something red out, possibly a bag. He wrapped whatever he had picked up in the red thing and put it right back in the bag.- Barbara Murray

The man walked past their vehicle toward the wharf,and when he got near the wharf, he bent down and picked something up.

"She has no idea what he picked up," the court document states.

The man looked over toward the lighthouse and playground, then walked to the end of the wharf, where he sat down "sort of sideways, facing toward Rothesay."

"He opened the bag andtook something red out, possibly a bag. He wrapped whatever he had picked up in the red thing and put it right back in the bag."

Then he walked "very briskly" past them again and Murray saw a "little silver car"in her rear view mirror drive away.

Looked like 'small parcel'

LeBlancgave a similar account of the events that night. He said they were there "after supper" andthere weren't many people around, just "the odd person here and there."

LeBlanc noticed aCaucasian, about five-foot-seven, with light hair, wearinga lighter sports coat, possibly beige pants and black shoes.

The manwalked to the wharf, carryinga "typical multi-colouredSobeysshopping bag with a reddish tint" in his right hand, then stopped and picked something up.

"Mr. LeBlanc thought it looked as if it was a small parcel of some kind, round," according to the court document.

"Mr. LeBlanc thought it looked wrapped in red or was red," it states.

The man walked to the end of the wharf carrying what he had picked up, sat sideways on the bumper at the end of the wharf, facing toward Rothesay.

He looked at the object,put it in the Sobeys bag, then got up and walked "quite swiftly" back to where he had come from, said LeBlanc, adding he lost sight of him after that.

Oland, who drives a silver Volkswagen Golf,told police he had stopped at the wharf to see if his children were swimming there.