Execution of Bandidos methodical

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This article was published 18/07/2009 (6168 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON, Ont. — Following a brief shootout in a remote barn in southwestern Ontario, several Bandidos from a rival chapter of the biker gang were led outside silently, executed and stuffed into vehicles, the key prosecution witness testified Friday morning.

The witness, a former senior member of the Manitoba Bandidos who can be identified only as M.H., broke down more than once during his fourth day of testimony.

M.H. implicated Wayne Kellestine — the owner of the farm — as the person who carried out the executions in April 2006 and even suggested he was upset at being the only one to kill his fellow Bandidos.

“He was bitching about having to do all of the wet work (shooting). None of the other… guys would do it,” M.H. said Kellestine stated.

Kellestine and five co-defendants are each facing eight counts of first-degree murder in the Ontario Superior Court trial.

Luis Raposo, George Jessome, George Kriarakis, Paul Sinopoli, Jamie Flanz, Michael Trotta, Frank Salerno and John Muscedere were killed and their bodies dumped about 15 kilometres from Kellestine’s farm.

All eight were members or associates of the Toronto chapter of the Bandidos, which was involved in a dispute with the chapter in Winnipeg.

Kellestine, who was allied with the Winnipeg faction, summoned the Toronto members to his farm on April 7, 2006, the jury heard. Senior members of the Winnipeg Bandidos had arrived at the farm two weeks earlier.

“Prepare for the worst,” M.H. said he was told by Kellestine before the visitors arrived from Toronto.

The shootout occurred when M.H. was outside the barn, he testified. When he walked inside, he saw that Raposo was seriously wounded and the other Bandidos were face down on the floor, some of them with shotgun wounds.

The witness was vague about the chronology of events that night, but it did not appear to be clear what was going to happen to the Toronto-area Bandidos.

Muscedere, known as Boxer, asked Kellestine to seek medical help for Raposo.

” ‘He is clearly dead,’ ” M.H. said Kellestine responded. Later that evening, two people were ordered to wrap up the Raposo’s body in an “area rug” and take him outside.

M.H. said Kellestine also insisted one of the Toronto Bandidos fired first and that he found two sawed-off shotguns among the possessions of his rivals.

Around midnight, Muscedere’s mobile phone rang and he was allowed to speak to his wife — as long as he “didn’t say anything stupid,” said the witness.

” ‘I will be home in a couple hours. I love you,’ ” Muscedere told his wife, M.H. said. At this point, the witness, who showed little emotion the previous three days, briefly lost his composure and broke down.

He said Muscedere spoke up and said: ” ‘Do me first. I want to go out like a man.’ “

” ‘John, we are going to let you go,’ ” Kellestine responded.

However, for reasons the witness has not yet explained, Muscedere was later ordered to get up and follow Kellestine outside. Frank Mather, one of the other defendants on trial, was told to “fall in behind” the two men.

“I heard pops… maybe two or three,” M.H. said.

About 20 minutes later, the same procedure was followed with Kriarakis, this time with Dwight Mushey accompanying Kellestine.

M.H. testified he was told to follow Kellestine when Jessome, who was known as “Pony,” was ordered outside.

“We went out to the yard, to the tow truck by the garage. Wayne tells Pony to get inside the truck. Pony is half-in and half-out.

“Wayne shoots him in the head. Then he lifts his shirt and sticks up the gun and shoots him again,” said M.H., who testified that he was silent as he observed the execution.

“After shooting Pony, he tells me to put Pony’s foot in the truck and close the door,” M.H. said.

When they returned to the barn, the witness testified that Kellestine provided Trotta and Flanz with a mop and ordered them to clean up the pool of blood.

During the evening, Kellestine would ,on more than one occasion, dance a jig and sing Deutschland Uber Alles, the Nazi war song, M.H. testified.

The trial adjourned for lunch as a family member of one victim started to sob and M.H. broke down when describing what happened when Salerno was taken out of the barn.

Marcelo Aravena, Brett Gardiner and Michael Sandham — head of the Manitoba Bandidos chapter — are also on trial.

— Canwest News Service