Saint John police reviewing report on wrongful conviction of two N.B. men – New Brunswick [Video]

An external review of police conduct around the wrongful murder convictions of two New Brunswick men has been completed, but the civilian board that oversees the Saint John, N.B., police force says privacy concerns need to be addressed before it can me made public.

Tamara Kelly, chairwoman of the city’s Board of Police Commissioners, acknowledged the report has taken time. Police Chief Robert Bruce ordered the “comprehensive review” in January 2024 after a court exonerated Robert Mailman and Walter Gillespie of a 1983 murder they did not commit. Mailman spent 18 years in prison for the crime and Gillespie served 21 years.

Kelly said in an interview last week that the review by retired RCMP officer Allen Farrah was complicated by the length of time since the murder investigation.

“A lot of people are not around from that time,” she said. “So, you know, to make sure that it was done well, they did what …