LONDON, Ont. - Family members of slain men linked to a biker gang burst into sobs in court Friday as an informant described how most of the men were led outside, one by one, and that he saw at least one man executed point blank.
The bodies of eight men with ties to the Toronto chapter of the Bandidos would be found hours later stuffed into four vehicles dumped in a farmer's field in Shedden, Ont.
Six alleged members and associates of the Bandidos biker gang have pleaded not guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder.
An ex-biker turned informant known as M.H. testified Friday that he and most of the accused were holding the eight men that night in a barn belonging to one of the accused, Wayne Kellestine.
Kellestine would ask one man to follow him, both would go outside, M.H. would hear "pop, pop, pop" sounds, then Kellestine would return to the barn without the man.
M.H. also said Kellestine would ask one of the other accused to come with him each time and one time M.H. followed behind Kellestine and George Jessome.
They walked out to a tow truck with one of the other men already slumped over inside and Kellestine ordered Jessome to get in, M.H. said.
With the gun just a few centimetres away, Kellestine shot Jessome in the head, then lifted up his shirt, stuck the gun underneath and shot him again, M.H. told the court.
Several family members of the slain men began audibly weeping after M.H. described how Kellestine led five men out of the barn. M.H. appeared emotional himself.
The informant told court earlier in the week about rising tensions between the Toronto chapter and the Winnipeg faction. Five of the accused men were allegedly members or associates of the Winnipeg group, while Kellestine was allegedly a member of the Toronto chapter, though he had not been getting along with the others.
Suggesting the men knew what fate was about to befall them that night, one of them, John Muscedere, kept saying, "Do me first. I want to go out like a man," M.H. said.
Muscedere was the first man led outside who never returned, court heard.
While the men were being individually led out it was mostly very quiet in the barn, M.H. said, except for what sounded like one man, George Kriarakis, praying in another language.
One man, Luis Raposo, had been shot in the neck and chest when shots were fired earlier in the night, M.H. said. After some time Raposo died lying in the middle of the barn floor and Kellestine ordered two men, Jamie Flanz and Michael Trotta, to roll up the body in a rug, dispose of it outside, then clean up the large pool of blood left behind -- but not before they said the Lord's Prayer over Raposo's body, court heard.
Kellestine had made a derogatory comment about Flanz being Jewish earlier that night, and after hitting him told him: "I'm going to save you for last."
Also several times during that night, Kellestine sang a "Deutschland" song while dancing a "jig," M.H. said.
Court was shown photographs and video earlier this week that were taken inside Kellestine's farmhouse and inside the barn. In the garage was a flag with a swastika on it and in his house was a Confederate flag, which on video he calls "the most beautiful flag in the world."
