Annapolis Valley man convicted of accessory charges in 2020 homicide

An Annapolis Valley man has been found guilty of several charges related to a homicide, but not for the killing itself.

Devyn Adam Dennis was convicted of breaking and entering, committing an indignity to human remains and arson in a decision delivered last Friday by Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Jamie Campbell.

The charges relate to the killing of Robert Campbell.

Campbell's charred remains were found in a burned-out van near the St. Croix exit of Highway 101 on May 24, 2020. The medical examiner determined that Campbell had died from a single gunshot wound before the van was set on fire.

"The answer to the question of who killed Robert Campbell remains unknown," Jamie Campbell wrote in his decision. "This case will not provide an answer to that."

Evidence at Dennis's trial shows he and two other men drove to a residence on Ridge Road near Wolfville, N.S., on the evening of May 23, 2020. One of the other men was Robert Campbell.

Rebecca Moir lived at the residence. The judge said she ran what could best be described as a crack house. The men were going there because one of them had discovered that a drug purchase they had made earlier was mostly sugar.

The men kicked in the door of the residence and entered.

Jamie Campbell noted in his decision that Robert Campbell was shot almost as soon as he entered. But there has never been enough evidence to establish who pulled the trigger.

Conflicting evidence

There was confusing and conflicting evidence over how Campbell's body was removed from the residence, placed in the van and driven to the spot where it was set on fire.

Robert Campbell's friend, Darroll Atwell, pleaded guilty to several charges relating to burning the body and the van, and to breaking into the crack house.

Dennis's conviction for breaking and entering also stems from kicking in the door to the residence that night.

The charges of arson and indignity to human remains are tied to the burning of Campbell's body.

Dennis was also charged with obstruction because the rifle believed to have been used in the murder was hidden in the woods, where it was later recovered by police. However, the judge ruled there was not sufficient evidence to tie Dennis to the gun.

The case has taken many swerves, including a failed attempt to have the charges dismissed because of delays and the removal of a defence lawyer before the trial.

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