A forensic video analysis expert from the U.S., who is a contract instructor at the FBI National Academy, a consultant for the United States Department of Justice and runs his own company Forensic Video Solutions, testifying at the second-degree murder trial of Dennis Oland about the work he was asked to do by the Saint John police.
Grant Fredericks of Washington testifying about his involvement in the Richard Oland case, saying he was first contacted by the Saint John police department on March 15, 2012, to examine video images then pictures of photographs of known clothing in order to make comparisons. The body of Richard Oland was found face down in a pool of blood in his investment firm in uptown Saint John on July 7, 2011.
A security video from Brunswick House taken the morning of July 6, 2011 being shown at the murder trial. Fredericks says the man in the video, who appears to be Dennis Oland, is wearing a brown dress jacket. He notes the distinguishing features of the jacket in the video including the two buttons on the right side, a v-cut at the lapel, four buttons on sleeve, etc. Compared to a photo of a known brown jacket, a police exhibit, he says his opinion is that they are of the same class, “there are no features that could distinguish one from the other therefore my opinion is that they are of the same class…” says Fredericks.
In an interview with Constable Stephen Davidson, who took over as lead investigator in the Richard Oland case, Dennis Oland saying that he was wearing a navy blazer when he went to go and visit his father at his office on July 6, 2011. Richard Oland’s secretary Maureen Adamson says that Dennis Oland was wearing a brown jacket when he arrived alone at Far End Corporation at around 5:30pm that day. The Crown has stated that four areas of blood were found on a brown jacket seized from Dennis Oland’s home on July 14, 2011 and the DNA profile matched that of Richard Oland.
Fredericks also saying that the J Crew dress shirt in the video and the “known shirt” are of the same class. He says the same thing when it comes to a pair of grey shorts worn by a man going into the Marr Road Irving on the evening of July 6, 2011. When it comes to the shirt, defence lawyer Gary Miller asking Fredericks under cross-examination if the photo of the “known shirt” and the shirt worn under the jacket however Fredericks says that is part of what he considered in his analysis, “there’s an explanation for the apparent difference,” he says.
This taking place on day 25 of the murder trial of Dennis Oland, who is accused of kiling his father Richard Oland. 65 days have been set aside for this trial.
Reporter Laura Lyall is covering the Dennis Oland murder trial and is live-tweeting from the courtroom to her account along with the CHSJ News and Wave News Twitter accounts.
