THE trial into the slaying of a 24-year-old man at a downtown nightclub is likely to focus not only on the men accused of stabbing him, but on the club, its owner and the overall quality of security for club-goers in Winnipeg.
Police announced yesterday that three Winnipeg men with gang ties have been charged with manslaughter in connection to the Nov. 18 stabbing death of bodybuilder Jeff Engen at the Empire Cabaret on Main Street.
Billy Bowden, left, and Matt Wegier have been charged in the Empire slaying.
Police are releasing few details about their investigation, but William "Billy" Bowden, 32, Matthew Wegier, 32, and 24-year-old Joel Braund stand accused of stabbing the man on the club's lower level.
Bowden, an ex-Hells Angels member, was escorted back to Winnipeg by city police after RCMP arrested him without incident in Whistler, B.C., on Valentine's Day.
Bowden had been on the run since Jan. 10 when an arrest warrant was issued after he failed to show up for a court appearance.
Police confirmed that Braund and Wegier also have gang connections and were well-known to them, but said they believe the stabbing of Engen was not gang-related.
At this point, it's not known which of the three men is suspected of stabbing Engen.
"If there's one individual responsible for the stabbing... that will be determined by the investigation and that will come out in the courts," police spokeswoman Const. Jacqueline Chaput said.
It is believed Engen, a bodybuilder, was in the basement lounge of the Empire when he got into a dispute about an ex-girlfriend of one of the men.
Engen was stabbed in the chest, then climbed the stairs to get help, but collapsed near the dance floor.
Despite efforts by a patron of the club to revive him, Engen died.
Witnesses said they were surprised a weapon got past the club's new security measures -- including a full-body metal detector -- which had been put in place after four people were shot and wounded there a month before Engen's stabbing.
Days after the stabbing, Engen's father, Darrell, had harshly criticized security at the club, and made it clear Thursday he's still angry.
"Nothing's going to bring my son back -- I do want to see these guys spend a lengthy time behind bars for what they took away -- they took away not only my son, but my grandchildren -- I have no grandchildren coming now," Engen said, pledging to follow the case through the courts.
The club's owner, Sabino Tummillo, closed the Empire's doors shortly after the stabbing. The club is currently for sale.
In a recent report, the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission noted that while many club operators in Manitoba were providing safety above what was required, some clearly were not.
In January, Tummillo's lawyer, Sidney Soronow, said the MLCC lay part of the blame on his client for Engen's death.
Soronow told the Free Press in January that an MLCC inspection report stated the club owner knew gang members frequented the club and concluded he was unwilling to deal with security concerns.
Tummillo denied these findings -- he had been vocal in the past about police not heeding his calls for more security in the downtown area.
He said he was also rebuffed by police when he approached them to hire off-duty police officers as security for the club.
On Feb. 14, Scott Smith, one of people shot and wounded at the club in October, filed a lawsuit seeking damages, saying Tummillo, the Empire and the MLCC didn't do enough to keep him safe.
If convicted, the three accused of Engen's killing face sentences of up to life in prison -- there is no minimum sentence because no gun was used.
"Mr. Bowden maintains his innocence and will vigorously defend this charge as it proceeds through the system," his lawyer, Sheldon Pinx, told the Free Press Thursday.
Pinx said he's heard nothing about his client being in poor health, despite several rumours that Bowden was removed from the Hell's Angels last year because of his medical condition.
"That's news to me," said Pinx.
james.turner@freepress.mb.ca
www.mikeoncrime.com
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