Forensic evidence led to the arrest of Louis Cartier, 45. He's accused of killing Hells Angels rivals in 1999 and 2000. The shoo...
Forensic evidence led to the arrest of Louis Cartier, 45. He's accused of killing Hells Angels rivals in 1999 and 2000.
The shootings took place during a battle over drug and prostitution rackets that pitted the Hells against the Rock Machine.
More than 150 people, including innocent bystanders, were killed during the war, which ended a decade ago following a series of mass arrests.
Rock Machine associates Serge Hervieux and Francois Gagnon were among the casualties in the war, but their murders went unsolved for years until advanced forensics led to an arrest.
Cartier sat in the prisoner's dock on Tuesday, his buzz cut a sharp contrast to the long hair he used to sport. He listened attentively as Crown attorney Eric Poudrier said he intends to prove Cartier planned and carried out the murders.
The Crown said the murders were part of a conflict between the Hells and the Alliance, a group that included members of the Rock Machine and another gang called Dark Circle.
Two people wearing hoods entered a garage in east-end Montreal on Aug. 26, 1999, and shot Hervieux, 38, several times.
The gunmen fled in a stolen vehicle, which was later found torched. But the fire had failed to destroy several photos, including one that identified the owner of the garage, who was a retired Dark Circle member.
Francis Gagnon, 41, was shot dead in his apartment in Montreal North on June 6, 2000.
The Crown says the killers scaled a back porch and opened fire on Gagnon through a patio door. The suspects then fled in a stolen Dodge Caravan.
Police found the minivan and confiscated two revolvers, two pairs of shoes, a full can of gasoline and a sports bag. DNA testing on the bag led to Cartier's arrest.
The Crown says a pair of gloves found in a trash can also point to Cartier as the killer.
The Crown says it will call police officers as well as expert witnesses, including specialists in forensics, ballistics, biology and chemistry.DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.
