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Crime & Justice • Murder Case

Dennis Oland

Dennis Oland is a Canadian man from New Brunswick who became known for being charged, convicted, retried, and ultimately acquitted in the 2011 killing of his father, businessman Richard Oland.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Dennis Oland is a Canadian man from New Brunswick who became known for being charged, convicted, retried, and ultimately acquitted in the 2011 killing of his father, businessman Richard Oland. He was first convicted of second-degree murder in 2015, but that conviction was overturned on appeal in 2016, and he was found not guilty at a retrial in 2019.

Background

Dennis Oland became a public figure through the high-profile homicide case involving his father, Richard Oland, a businessman from the Moosehead Brewing family. The case drew intense media coverage in New Brunswick and across Canada.

Trial and conviction

Oland was charged with second-degree murder in 2013. He was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment, with the jury recommending parole eligibility after 10 years.

Appeal and retrial

In 2016, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal quashed the conviction and ordered a new trial. In 2019, Justice Terrence Morrison found Oland not guilty, saying the Crown had not proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Public attention

The case became one of the most closely watched criminal proceedings in Atlantic Canada because of the family’s prominence, the wealth involved, and the long timeline of the investigation and trials.

Key facts

  • Dennis Oland was arrested and charged in November 2013 in relation to the death of his father, Richard Oland.
  • A jury convicted him of second-degree murder in 2015 and recommended life imprisonment with parole eligibility after 10 years.
  • The New Brunswick Court of Appeal overturned that conviction in 2016 because of errors in the trial judge’s jury instructions.
  • At his retrial, a judge found him not guilty on July 19, 2019.
  • Oland maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
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Canadian context

The case was one of the most prominent criminal justice stories in New Brunswick and drew national Canadian media coverage, making it especially relevant to Canadian readers.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Dennis Oland?
He is a Canadian man known for being the accused in the Richard Oland murder case.
What was Dennis Oland charged with?
He was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the 2011 death of his father, Richard Oland.
Was Dennis Oland convicted?
Yes. He was convicted in 2015, but that conviction was later overturned on appeal.
Was Dennis Oland found guilty at retrial?
No. He was found not guilty at his retrial on July 19, 2019.
Why was the first conviction overturned?
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal found errors in the trial judge’s jury instructions.

References

  1. CBC News — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/dennis-oland-murder-trial-not-guilty-1.5215559
    Supports: Reports that Dennis Oland was found not guilty at his retrial in July 2019.
  2. The Canadian Encyclopedia — https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dennis-oland-case
    Supports: Summarizes the case timeline, charge, conviction, appeal, and retrial acquittal.
  3. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Richard_Oland
    Supports: Provides chronology of the investigation, conviction, appeal, and retrial; used only for corroborating timeline details.
  4. CBC — https://www.cbc.ca/tv/features/the-oland-murder
    Supports: Gives background on the investigation, arrest, trial, conviction, and appeal.