Two New Brunswick men convicted in the 1983 murder of a man in Saint John have been exonerated.

Robert Mailman and Walter Gillespie were formally declared not guilty of murder on Thursday in the death of George Leeman.

“Mr. Mailman and Mr. Gillespie entered this courtroom today innocent in the eyes of the law as a result of Minister Virani’s order,” said Tracey DeWare, chief justice of New Brunswick’s Court of King’s Bench.

“They may leave the court today with that presumption of innocence maintained and forever confirmed for the fact that they have been found not guilty as charged.”

Leeman’s body was found by a jogger in a wooded area of the city’s Rockwood Park on Nov. 30, 1983.

Mailman and Gillespie were sentenced to life in prison without parole eligibility for at least 18 years after being convicted of second-degree murder.

In December, Canada’s justice minister ordered a new trial after “new and significant information” called into question the overall fairness of the process.

Arif Virani said he determined there were reasonable grounds to conclude that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred.

“I’d just like to thank everybody,” an emotional Gillespie said following Thursday’s court appearance.

The Crown called no evidence on Thursday after the two men once again pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

Chief Justice DeWare said it is “most regrettable” that it has taken this long for their names to be cleared.

More to come.