# What is going on in St John, New Brunswick? (Murder of Moosehead Beer heir) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975 "2011-07-14T04:46:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/1 "2011-07-14T04:46:32Z")
It’s like a murder mystery, only real. Wealthy member of the Moosehead beer brewing company, well-respected in the community, member of the Order of Canada, found dead in his office, bludgeoned to death by an axe. Police aren’t saying much, except that they think he knew his killer and it wasn’t a murder/theft situation. [Moosehead heir’s death a mystery](http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2011/07/13/18415486.html) ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/2 "2011-07-14T14:43:59Z")
First thing I thought was gay lover, but you don’t get to be where he was without stepping on a few toes over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/3 "2011-07-14T15:44:50Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > First thing I thought was gay lover… My vote is for “Beer snob.” ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/4 "2011-07-14T16:44:58Z")
Wait…“bludgeoned” with an axe? They clubbed him to death with the axe? I mean, it’s obviously possible–a whack in the head from the blunt side of an axe head could certainly be fatal–but it doesn’t seem like the most efficient approach. Why not use the edge? If you’re trying to minimize mess, bashing someone in the head with a piece of metal is already a bad option. Okay, so I’m likely reading too much into the wording. As long as we’re talking about a murder mystery, though, we might as well add some confusion about the murder weapon. ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/5 "2011-07-14T17:06:42Z")
Mynd you, Møøsehead bites Kan be pretti nasti… ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/6 "2011-07-14T18:16:33Z")
[nitpick]Saint John[/nitpick] Drives me crazy every time. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/7 "2011-07-14T19:09:14Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Okay, so I’m likely reading too much into the wording. Yeah, it’s a pretty conventional phrase - I think all axe murders are bludgeonings, just because they have such a good weight to them. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/8 "2011-07-15T02:07:50Z")
The Plot Thickens: [Police Execute Search Warrant on the Home of the Murdered Beer Heir’s Heir!](http://m.ctv.ca/topstories/20110714/police-search-home-richard-oland-murder-110714.html) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-in-st-john-new-brunswick-murder-of-moosehead-beer-heir/588975/9 "2013-11-13T02:43:42Z")
And an update, two and a half years on: [Richard Oland’s son arrested in connection with businessman’s murder](http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/11/12/richard_olands_son_arrested_in_connection_with_businessmans_murder.html) > [@](#): > > The son of slain businessman Richard Oland has been arrested by police in New Brunswick in connection with his father’s homicide more than two years ago. > > Documents that were released suggested that the suspect in the homicide was “experiencing financial hardships” and owed he businessman more than $500,000. They also said the owner of the building where Richard worked remembered hearing six or seven “exceptionally loud quick pounding thumps” coming from upstairs.