8 Bodies found near London Ontario

[Richards 0]

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Police sifting through clues in grisly Ont. murders
All victims from Greater Toronto Area


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Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Dave Rektor addresses a news conference near the area where eight men were found dead inside four vehicles near Shedden, Ont. on Saturday April 8, 2006.
Photograph by : CP PHOTO/Steve Martin
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Font: * * * * Gregory Bonnell, Canadian Press
Published: Sunday, April 09, 2006
SHEDDEN, Ont. -- The bodies of eight unidentified men found stuffed inside several abandoned vehicles were awaiting autopsies Sunday after police removed them overnight from a farmer's field that's now the scene of the worst mass killing in Ontario history.

None of the victims have yet been identified, but the eight were all known to each other and all came from the Greater Toronto Area, said Ontario police Det.-Supt. Ross Bingley.

"Obviously, we're not used to having eight people at one homicide scene," Bingley told a news conference down the gravel road from where the vehicles were discovered by the property owner.

"(In) 27 years of policing, I don't recall that number of people at any one location, so obviously it's fairly significant."

Bingley refused to speculate about the possible cause of death.

Toronto West regional coroner Dr. David Evans confirmed Sunday that the bodies were in the city and that post-mortem examinations would take place Monday, but he refused to discuss what condition the bodies were in.

"We're undergoing our routine protocol for doing homicide autopsies," Evans said.

"It's going to take a bit of time -- it may take all day and sometime into the evening to have it all completed."

The eight men were found dead Saturday inside four vehicles on a tract of southwestern Ontario farmland near Shedden, a tiny farming village of about 800 people southwest of London and not far from the roar of traffic along the heavily travelled Highway 401.

The vehicles -- a grey Pontiac Grand Prix, a silver Infiniti SUV and a green Chevrolet Silverado tow truck, with a silver Volkswagen Golf attached to the hitch -- were taken to provincial police headquarters in Orillia, Ont., north of Toronto, Bingley said.

Police have so far refused to discuss any possible links to organized crime, although surrounding Elgin County has a history of biker activity; several motorcycle clubs have been known to populate the area, including the Loners, the Bandidos and the Hells Angels.

"The Hells are present in Ontario; everybody knows that," Bingley said.

"But as far as me discussing the Hells or anybody else, we're working on this murder case, and we're not talking about the Hells."

Police have been stopping cars to ask drivers what they have seen.

On Saturday, an aerial view showed the vehicles parked within 200 metres of each other, the bodies still inside. One body was clearly visible, lying curled on its side in the trunk of the SUV. Photos of the body were on the front pages of several Canadian newspapers Sunday.

The SUV was found in a field about 20 metres off a dirt road. About 100 metres away, the tow truck bearing a Superior Towing logo on the side was found parked on the shoulder, the Volkswagen hooked to the back.

One report, citing police sources, said four of the bodies were found in a single car.

A dispatch operator at Superior Towing and Storage in west Toronto refused Sunday to confirm or deny whether the company was missing a truck or a driver.

"I know nothing of the sort right now," he said.

Greg Crone, a spokesman for Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant, said the ministry was not being apprised of the day-to-day progress of the investigation.

"We don't get briefed on police investigations, and we don't comment on police investigations," Crone said.

"When it becomes a court case, that's when the attorney general will get involved."

Police escorted members of the media beyond the barricades for a closer look at the area where the cars were found, but there was little left to see.

The scene will remain off-limits for at least another several days as investigators continue their search for clues -- "clothing, identification, any evidence that may help us ascertain who they are," said police Const. Doug Graham.

"We wouldn't want the farm owner to encounter (evidence), or anyone from the public," Graham said. "We want to gather any other evidence and want to make sure there are not other victims we haven't found yet."

It's not the first time that the hallmarks of violent crime have been discovered in the isolated area.

In separate incidents in 1994 and 1998, the bodies of a man and a woman were found dumped in county fields. Both had been beaten to death and neither of the murders were ever solved.

In October 1999, there was a shootout on Highway 401, apparently the result of a rift inside one of the gangs.

But residents whose homes border the crime scene said they were unaware of any biker activity, although most found it too unbelievable that such a large-scale killing could have been at the hands of anyone they knew.

Mayor James McIntyre said police have assured the village's 800 residents that they're not in any danger.

During a service at the Orthodox Presbyterian Grace Church Sunday morning, Rev. Dale Colission said a prayer of strength for parishioners.

"These things shake up people," he said, adding that the community has concerns but is not living in fear.


© Canadian Press 2006

Speculations? It relates to another thread about biker violence so I figured I would post it.

Richards

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[narcimund 0]

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Speculations? It relates to another thread about biker violence so I figured I would post it.

Bikers? The only reference to bikers is an editorial reminder that this county has some -- with absolutely no allusion to a connection to this event at all. They might as well have mentioned that the county has restaurants and libraries for all the relevance they show.

Damn, I hate reporting like this!

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Richards 0]

OK. I have read multiple articles on this already. They have all speculated that it was biker related. All I said was that the article does touch on the biker issue, and that they have implied it. I have not yet myself passed judgement. If you feel that bikers are treated unfairly, then this would be a good oportunity to, voice some of your opinions on the issue. Remember, that most people (myself included) have very little (if any) inside knowledge about bikers so if you do, and you feel you can alleviate some media injustice then by all means this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Richards

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[narcimund 0]

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if you do...

No sir. I know nothing about bikers. My comment was really exactly what I said. This article brings up bikers for the SOLE PURPOSE of instilling an unwarranted connection in the reader.

I have no idea if there will be a connection or not. Maybe tomorrow we'll all learn it was bikers after all. Or maybe not. But meanwhile, everyone's walking around thinking "Bikers! Bikers! Damn murderous bikers!" because these articles carefully denied that bikers are suspects.

Accidental innuendo? No... I seriously doubt it.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Richards 0]

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This article brings up bikers for the SOLE PURPOSE of instilling an unwarranted connection in the reader.

I have no idea if there will be a connection or not. Maybe tomorrow we'll all learn it was bikers after all. Or maybe not. But meanwhile, everyone's walking around thinking "Bikers! Bikers! Damn murderous bikers!" because these articles carefully denied that bikers are suspects.

Accidental innuendo? No... I seriously doubt it.

[SkydiveJack 1]

Everybody please take note that the police never specifically said bikers were suspected. In response to a question from a reporter a police officer said everyone knew there were bikers in the area. I seem to notice that the police in Canada are very tight lipped about their investigations, as they should be.

What I think is happening is the press again figures that if they don't have any real facts they better speculate or make up something juicy that will sell to the public. The truth and facts be damned!

Jack

Edit- Well, a few hours after posting this I watched the news. The police now say that all eight were members of the Banditos. So as for as my rant above-

Nevermind

[Richards 0]

Usually the media have some sort of inside info on these things. That is not to say that they don't sensationalize but they always have contacts on the inside that will slip info to them for a fee. I doubt they would have immediately said biker if it wasn't biker related.

Richards

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[Gravitymaster 0]

Update

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Law/2006/04/08/1526054-cp.html

Looks like it's some kind of biker war.

Say, doesn't John Kerry ride a Harley?

-

[warpedskydiver 0]

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Update

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Law/2006/04/08/1526054-cp.html

Looks like it's some kind of biker war.

Say, doesn't John Kerry ride a Harley?

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yes, but there were eye witness accounts by Howard Dean,
that state John Kerry was in Al Frankens flying saucer giving him a blowjob at the time while only flying over Canada

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