Just hours after Richard Oland's body was discovered, police were already examining a variety of electronic devices, hoping to find clues recorded on computer hard drives.
At the Dennis Oland murder trial Wednesday, the Crown provided a glimpse of computer forensics used by police in the case.
Payman Hakamian of the RCMP said he was called by Saint John Police just hours after the murder came to light, because Richard Oland's office was equipped with a lot of electronic devices.
Hakamian told the court about finding several desktop computers, along with external hard drives, an iPad and digital cameras.
Saint John police wanted to know when each of the devices had last been used, and for what purpose.
On Day 1 of the investigation, Saint John police began seizing electronic devices, first at the crime scene, and then elsewhere. They were hoping to find digital records, or any evidence that would lead them to the killer of Richard Oland.
Hakamian says Oland's cellphone had been disconnected from the office computer at 4:44 in the afternoon on the day of the murder.
Oland logged into that office computer for the last time, about three hours earlier.
Police would use those computer markers to construct a timeline of when they believed the murder took place.
Proceedings were delayed Wednesday, when the Crown asked for time to consider whether to call a new witness to testify. Prosecutors had earlier stated an interest in calling Lisa Oland's ex-husband to the stand, but after consulting with defence lawyers, the Crown dropped that plan, offering little explanation to the court for the change in heart.
Later this week, cellphone experts will begin testifying about the last contact made with Richard Oland's missing cellphone and where the crown believes the cellphone was at the time.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.
