The Dennis Oland murder trial continued in Saint John on Tuesday.
In the early morning hours of the murder investigation, Saint John police collected dozens of items that would require DNA analysis. The analysis was performed at RCMP forensic labs, at the time, in Halifax and Ottawa.
Among the samples seized by police were DNA specimens from Dennis Oland, from his father Richard Oland’s body, and from clippings taken out of a brown sports jacket which police found in Dennis Oland’s bedroom closet.
Joy Kearsey, who testified at the first Oland trial, was a DNA specialist at the Halifax lab. Kearsey says whenever two objects come into contact, a transfer of DNA will occur.
“The ideal amount of DNA that’s needed to analysis is one nanogram, which is one-billionth of a gram,” said Kearsey. “If a blood stain has been laundered or diluted, it may not be concentrated enough to give a positive result.”
The Crown has heard evidence that the brown jacket had been dry-cleaned prior to being seized by police.
The judge is expected to hear the results of the DNA analysis on Thursday, three months after the trail began.
There are only a few Crown witnesses left for the judge to hear, and the Crown says it could wrap up its case against Dennis Oland this week.
This will be followed by the defense presenting their evidence. The defense also said at the beginning of the trial, Dennis Oland will be taking the stand to once again to proclaim his innocence.
50-year-old Dennis Oland is charged with the second degree murder of his father, Richard Oland, on July 6, 2011.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.
