In May 1984, Mr. Robert Mailman and Mr. Walter Gillespie were convicted of second-degree murder in the death of George Leeman. They were sentenced and served a life sentence until being released on parole later in life.
One year ago, and following an order from the Minister of Justice for a new trial, Mr. Mailman and Mr. Gillespie were acquitted in the Court of King’s Bench. The Federal Minister of Justice determined that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred. This determination is a result of the identification of new and significant information that was not submitted to the courts at the time of Mr. Mailman and Mr. Gillespie’s trials or appeals, calling into question the overall fairness of the process.
Shortly after their acquittals, the Saint John Police announced that, out of a sense of duty, responsibility and transparency, a comprehensive review of the involvement of the Saint John Police in the original investigation would be conducted. Chief Robert Bruce commissioned Allen Farrah, a retired senior officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to carry out an independent review solely focused on the investigation of the Saint John Police.
The review is now complete.
https://saintjohnpolice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SUMMARY-REPORT.pdf
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