Richard Oland, a prominent 69-year-old Canadian businessman from the family that owns Moosehead Breweries, was a well-known figure in Saint John, New Brunswick. After a public falling out with his brother, Derek, over control of the family brewery in the 1980s, Richard left the company and built his own successful empire, including a trucking company and the investment firm Far End Corporation. He was known for his involvement in philanthropic projects, including organizing the 1985 Canada Summer Games. Married for 46 years to his wife, Constance, he was a father of three, though his relationships were sometimes complex. His son, Dennis, later told police his father could be difficult and controlling, while his long-time mistress described Richard as thinking his son was "lazy." At the time of his death, Richard Oland's fortune was estimated at nearly $37 million.
On the morning of July 7, 2011, Richard Oland’s personal assistant, Maureen Adamson, arrived at his second-floor office at 52 Canterbury Street in Saint John and found a horrific scene. The door was slightly ajar, and a vile smell hung in the air. Inside, she discovered her boss’s body lying face-down in a pool of blood. An autopsy would later reveal the shocking extent of the violence: Oland had been struck 45 times with both sharp and blunt force, causing devastating wounds to his head, neck, and hands. The wounds on his hands were believed to be defensive. The crime scene was described by a police sergeant as one of the bloodiest he had ever witnessed. Curiously, while Oland’s expensive Rolex watch was left on his wrist, his iPhone was missing, and the murder weapon was never found.
The Saint John Police Force investigation quickly focused on one person: Richard’s only son, Dennis Oland. Dennis was the last known person to see his father alive, having visited him at his office on the evening of July 6, 2011. Police theorized that Dennis, who was deeply in debt and had received a loan from his father for over $500,000, had asked for more money and snapped when he was refused. The case against him was circumstantial, built on a timeline constructed from cell phone records and surveillance footage. In November 2013, more than two years after the murder, Dennis Oland was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
The legal battle that followed captivated the city of Saint John and all of Canada, turning the private lives of one of New Brunswick’s wealthiest families into a public spectacle. In December 2015, a jury found Dennis Oland guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years. However, his lawyers immediately appealed. In October 2016, the conviction was overturned by the New Brunswick Court of Appeal due to errors in the trial judge's instructions to the jury. A second trial in 2018 ended in a mistrial.
A third trial, this time heard by a judge alone, concluded on July 19, 2019. Dennis Oland was found not guilty. The judge ruled that the Crown had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Throughout the lengthy ordeal, Dennis’s family, including his mother Connie, steadfastly maintained his innocence, contrasting his gentle nature with Richard's more abrasive personality. The police investigation faced public criticism for its perceived "tunnel vision" in focusing solely on Dennis and for potential missteps at the crime scene in the initial hours.
Ten years after the brutal killing, the murder of Richard Oland remains officially unsolved. Following the 2019 acquittal of his son, the Saint John Police Force confirmed the investigation was no longer active, though they would consider any new information brought forward. Because Dennis Oland cannot be tried again on the same evidence, the question of who killed the millionaire businessman remains a mystery that haunts the city of Saint John. As of July 2021, no other suspects have been publicly identified, and the case has grown cold.
