The chief of police in Fredericton says the force has made significant changes after an investigation into an error that forced the Crown to abandon two murder trials last year.
Gary Forward told a municipal public safety committee meeting Thursday that the police force had hired staff, introduced new training and implemented better oversight measures.
The moves were in line with 19 recommendations made by Ontario lawyer Ian D. Scott, as part of his review of the cases.
Scott released his report late last year, saying an “insurmountable evidentiary issue” brought both cases to an end, though he included few details, citing the Canada Evidence Act.
Forward said the police force has implemented 10 of Scott’s recommendations, and it is on track to complete all 19 by June of next year.
The collapse of the trials before they began in the Court of King’s Bench meant no one was convicted for the murders of 41-year-old Corey Christopher Markey, originally from Woodstock, N.B., and 27-year-old Brandon Patrick Donelan of Fredericton.
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On Dec. 21, 2021, Markey was shot on Paul Street in Sitansisk First Nation, on the north side of the Saint John River in Fredericton. He died in hospital eight days later.
Donelan was reported missing in January 2022, and his body was found in a wooded area off a snowmobile trail northeast of Fredericton on March 31, 2022.
The Fredericton Police Force led the investigation into Markey’s death, and the RCMP investigated Donelan’s killing.
Scott’s report made it clear the mistake made by the municipal police force prompted the Crown to scuttle both cases.
Forward said the municipal police force has begun discussions with other New Brunswick police forces to explore whether a provincial investigative unit for homicides could work, as per Scott’s recommendations.
He said he would provide another update to the city early next year.
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