Canadian True Crime - The "Shedden Massacre" [3]

Episode Date: April 23, 2025

[Part 3 of 3] As the perpetrators of the Bandidos Massacre try to get away with it, a covert police investigation is closing in on them — with the help of a secret police informant.The intention of this series is to take a detailed look back at a shocking crime sensationalized through headlines.Book recommendation:Bandido Massacre: A True Story of Bikers, Brotherhood and Betrayal, 2010, by Peter EdwardsCanadian True Crime donates monthly to help those facing injustice.This month we have donated to the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime.Full list of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Apple podcasts, Patreon and Supercast. The podcast often has disturbing content and coarse language. It's not for everyone. Please take care when listening. Tell me what you did Friday, Wayne. How hard is that? I know I'm not under arrest. I know that you guys are stalling.

I have a farm. I'm going back to. I'm not leaving the country. Is there any reason? No, there isn't. No, no. I got nothing to fucking worry about. Nothing. In the last episode, Boxer, Mushedre and the Toronto Bandidos were at war with US headquarters in Texas. They refused to give up their patches. Furious, Texas turned to Wayne Callistine, original founder of the chapter.

He'd gone rogue and was secretly plotting with Michael Taz Sandham from the probationary Winnipeg chapter. Both men were also going behind each other's backs to try and win favor with Texas. Eventually, US headquarters issued them a joint ultimatum. If they pulled the patches of the No Surrender crew, they would be rewarded, and if they didn't, they would both be expelled. After weeks of stalling and a nudge from Texas, Michael Tass Sandim and the Winnipeg crew

travelled to Wayne Calistine's farm and together they decided on a plan. They had no idea that there was a confidential police informant among them. The evening of Friday, April 7th of 2006, the eight members of the No Surrender crew were lured to the farm for a final church meeting. They did not surrender. The plan was to drive their vehicles with the bodies inside a long way away from the farm, but a gas light came on shortly after they'd left and they were forced to improvise, abandoning the vehicles near the village of Shedden. Michael Tassandum and the Winnipeg crew

got on the road back home, leaving their 22-year-old junior prospect member, Brett Gardner, behind at the farm to help Wayne Callistine and his red-haired prison pal Frank Mather with the clean-up. By that afternoon, the police were parked nearby, waiting on a search warrant. So when a friend of Wayne's named Eric Neeson showed up unexpectedly with his common-law wife, Kerry, Wayne requested their help.

By that evening, the search warrant had been approved and the tactical team moved onto the farm. Police had their guns trained on Wayne Callistine as he met them on the driveway, arms raised. He told them he'd cooperate fully, he'd left his door unlocked, and his German shepherd was in a pen. Wayne was ordered to turn around and lift up his shirt to show he didn't have any hidden weapons. He wasn't under arrest at this point,

but they were picking him up for questioning while the search warrant was being executed. In the police cruiser, Wayne Callistine insinuated the Hells Angels were the likely killers. He said that he feared for his common-law wife and young daughter, but quote, I don't give a fuck about myself. I am 10 feet tall and invincible. He appeared to pretend to cry briefly, adding, I wish they would have put a gun to my head and killed me too. The police knew that the victims had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head, but no one else knew, including the press.

This was hold back information that only the killer would know. A few seconds later, it seemed Wayne realized his own mistake and suggested the killers could have used machine guns or knives. Shortly after that, Wayne's prison pal, Frank Mather, and Winnipeg Prospect Brett Gardner were also detained, along with a very surprised Eric Neeson and his partner. As expected, the press had started reporting new developments by the hour, and the case hit the evening news, along with rumours that the deaths were linked

to outlaw motorcycle clubs known to be present in the area. The Hells Angels, the dominant outlaw club in Canada, were quick to deny involvement. Journalist Peter Edwards later recounted in his book, The Bandito Massacre, that when he reached out to his own Hells Angels contacts for clarification, one dismissed the idea outright, saying, What could we take from them? They don't have two nickels to rub together. Another put it even more bluntly, quote,

It's a great day when you wake up and your enemies have killed each other. enemies have killed each other. The following day, Sunday, the front pages of newspapers around Canada would start showing an aerial photograph of the grey Infinity SUV, parked in the field, hatch open, showing big, poorly Sinopolis body lying in the rear. The 30-year-old's mother would see that photo and recognise her son. That's how his very worried family would first learn he was dead. And then the news took off,

making headlines around the world. It was noted that on the website of the USA bandidos in Texas, there was no message of condolence posted, and when visitors flocked to the site to leave their own messages, they were promptly deleted. US headquarters was actively trying to distance themselves from the massacre. While the police were searching Wayne Calistine's farm, he was in an interview room with Detective Sergeant Mark Loder

of the Ontario Provincial Police, who it seemed he'd dealt with many times in the past. Detective Sergeant Loder was extremely careful with how he dealt with Wayne. If he could keep the man talking, he might say something incriminating. Detective Sergeant Loder was extremely careful with how he dealt with Wayne. If he could keep the man talking, he might say something incriminating. The following clips were first published by the London Free Press. They've been edited slightly for clarity and brevity.

I have some questions I want to ask you. Okay, just before you proceed, any further, how long can you hold me before you have to release me? I'm not holding you. Okay, just before you proceed any further, how long can you hold me before you have to release me? I'm not holding you. Okay. I'm free to go. I suppose technically you could. I'll stay for here.

I'll just go to bed and lay down and go to sleep. I look like shit to you. I think I actually look good. I've seen you look worse to be honest with you. Okay. Like maybe I've seen you in some pretty bad days, I don't know. During this interview, Wayne Callistine is trying to claim his innocence by hammering Holmes several points. The first is that he can't believe he's being detained when he is clearly heartbroken about the murder of his eight outlaw biker brothers. He is insulted. He wants the police to realize what a big deal it is that Wayne Callistine, known Outlaw

Biker figure, is emotional. He must be innocent. The other point Wayne tries to make is about his whereabouts that Friday night. He claims he presumed he'd been under constant police surveillance for the last few weeks. So the police would have known exactly what he'd been doing, i.e. not executing the Toronto Bandidos on his property. I had police on the farm down the road watching me 24 hours a day. About your place a dozen times?

Yeah, no. In fact, the last couple of weeks since you've called me, Police on the farm down the road watching me 24 hours a day. About your place a dozen times? Yeah, no. I'm talking about the last couple of weeks. Since you've called me, I would presume that I had police protection 24 hours a day. You presume wrong. I find that hard to believe. This is bullshit.

Like you're fucking with me. Why is that? Now why would that make this bullshit? Well, if I was being watched 24 hours a fucking day, seven days a week, you know I haven't left, I haven't gone anywhere. You know who's been at my fucking house. You know who hasn't been at my house.

You know who left and came back. And this is bullshit. You know as well as I do. Can I ask you a question? Do you think I'm stupid? Do I think you're stupid? Yeah. No, I don't think you're stupid.

Have I ever talked to you like you're stupid? No. You are now. No. If I was under 24-hour fucking police surveillance, which I know I have been. Okay. Um, how would I be possible of doing anything that won't fucking go inside a piss without being seen?

Do you think that there's surveillance inside your house? I know there is. Come on, fuck. Well, you still, you got barns, you got driving sheds? Who knows? I don't know. If that's what you're getting at. No, what I'm getting at is that I've got... I don't know, I think you're treating me like I'm fucking stupid.

Like, it's fucking... If I had 24-hour surveillance, um, what am I, Houdini? As far as Wayne knows, the police had only started watching his farm after the discovery of the abandoned vehicles. What he doesn't know is that a separate surveillance team had arrived the night before, on a different matter. This is the team that had been shadowing Goldberg Flans and Big Pauli Synopoly in relation to a previous murder investigation.

More on that later. So the police already knew that the four vehicles belonging to the murdered Toronto Banditos had pulled into the farm the night before and by 8am the next morning all eight members were dead. Wayne also tries to play down his ties to the Bandidos. He claims he's retired and questions why he's in custody. But the detective notices he's wearing a Bandidos one percenter belt. So if this is to stop me from, actually I shouldn't even say anything.

If you're afraid I'm going to retaliate or something like that, I've retired, I've got nothing to do with nothing. I can't believe this is happening. This doesn't make sense to me. Can I ask you a question? Are there any other bikers here? Well, the investigation is ongoing. Okay. I'll send the first one. You're not here by accident. You know that. Okay. So I'm here because? Well, I would say vicinity to the crime scene has something to do with it.

I mean, how far is that from your house, Wayne? I don't know. The foggest idea of where I was. Shedding is, what, 15 minutes? You know what? I don't know the area that well, but it's 10 minutes probably. Fuck. What, 15 minutes? Well, you know what, I don't know the order that well, but it's 10 minutes probably. Fuck. I don't see a patch I got on my back. What's that? What patch? Yeah.

There's no patch on your back? No. I did see a belt on your waist. No. If you would find it... I do know some stuff. I will. I don't think I know enough to know you and me wearing that belt if you're out or retired like you said.

Detective Sergeant Loder tries to bring the discussion back to Wayne's alibi for the weekend. He stalls again, going back to his emotional exhaustion and trying to change the subject. I have to know what you did, what you did on Friday. I have to know what you did on Saturday. changed the subject. yourself. Like, you know that stuff that's going to help you. Um, you know that I can't say anything to you. And I said more to you than I've ever said in my life to a police officer. I actually broke down in front of you, which I'm embarrassed about. So I'm trying to keep my composure. And the last thing I want is this film and a chord singing me all my fucking eyes out. I haven't even seen you cry, Wayne. I've never seen you cry.

Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate that. Seeing somebody that was, you know, who said they were emotional about some friends. What'd you do Friday, Wayne? Let's clear this up.

Why don't we try to refresh the brain and kickstart it? Coffee and three sugars and three letters. Trouble, trouble. And I'm dead tired, you? The bird's out. Wayne Callistine had always been an expert at stalling, and this police interview wasn't any different. Two days ago it was Friday. I'm good with dates, I'm good with numbers usually.

Usually. I say I'm brutal. But I do remember what I did on Friday, Wayne. That's funny. Sometimes I forget people's names. And I can ramble off regimental serial numbers, social insurance numbers. What time did you wake up? Friday morning, let's go to Friday morning.

I didn't sleep Friday. I didn't sleep Thursday. A bit of sleep, I say a bit of sleep. I've been up partying. Just, well, I say last night. Who are we meeting over that coffee? That's why I keep asking. I look like fucking shit.

Bing, bing. Drivers license numbers. Fingerprint. Tell me what you did Friday morning. It was time to ask Wayne point blank. Get you a coffee? I'd probably be on a marvelous thing. It was time to ask Wayne point blank. Did you murder these eight people? How's that for a question? That's a dumb fucking question. All right, well, why the fuck can you say that to me? I can't believe you said that to me. Well, why do you think I asked that? What I'm trying to do as somebody that has known you

is I'm trying to say to you, Wayne, wake up and appreciate the gravity, the seriousness of the situation, okay? I don't think I'm in any trouble. Well, then prove it to me. I'm not here... I don't want to prove anything. You do. Well, okay, well, you're actually right about that.

I don't want to prove anything. I don't want to say anything. Well, Wayne, you know... All I gotta do is sit't have to prevent it. So I don't have to stay in it. Wayne, you know where- All I gotta do is sit here until you guys are done and rip my house apart. I'll go home. I'll bury some friends.

All right. Now you're sitting here. You got eight dead people that you knew. 10 minutes from your house. Tell me- You think I'm that fucking stupid? Do something like that? Then tell me. I might be'm not fucking stupid? Do something like that? Then tell me.

I might be a dignified answer, but that's what you believe. Charge me. Did I say I believe that? I said I'm giving you an opportunity. Waste all your time and effort on me. And then I can't believe this. Well you haven't told me that somebody else did it.

You know what? I won't. Do you think that's a smart move right now? I don't care. I wouldn't Friday me off. I mean what we have here being a rat as you say is over here, all I wanna know is what you did on Friday. I mean, that's way over here. That's a long way from being a rat, Wayne. You know? Yeah.

If I'm charged with something, get it over with, let me have some sleep. I have nothing to hide. I've done nothing. I know for a fact I'm watching out here. Wayne, you have to tell me what you did Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Four words. Drank beer got high.

OK. OK. With the same four people you're in the house with today. You told me that too, right? No, I didn't. Is that not what you said? Another detective takes over to clarify a few points. Clearly, Wayne does not like this officer

as much as he likes Detective Sergeant Loder. Is there any reason why we're going to find any blood or any evidence that those folks were at your house? No. Why would you? That's what I'm asking you. Because you know they're going to go through that with a fine-tooth comb. You know that they're going to go through all the property, all the buildings out there,

they're gonna go through everything with a fine tooth comb. It'll be there as long as it takes. So I guess what I'm asking is there any reason? No, there isn't. No, no, no, no. I got nothing to fucking worry about. Nothing. How long has it been since you saw those folks? Because that's one of the things as well that we're gonna do with those folks from the other end. I don't give a fuck, I spent three weeks doing it. I know I have nothing to worry about. I know I'm not under arrest.

I know that you guys are stalling. I have a farm that I'm going back to. I'm not leaving the fucking country. I don't have a passport on me. So, you know where I'll'll be unless I'm under arrest. You offered me a ride. I'll take it. Wayne Callistine would not be going back to his farm.

On Monday, April 10th of 2006, the Ontario Provincial Police announced for the first time that all eight victims were associated with the Bandito's biker club and that they all suffered gunshot wounds. degree murder. Wayne Callistine, his prison friend Frank Mather and Brett Gardner of the Winnipeg Banditos, along with Wayne's friend Eric and his common law wife Kerry. They'd all told police that they'd been at the farm partying hard on the Friday night and on the Saturday they were just cleaning up. That's all the police had seen. When Kerry heard she'd been charged with first degree murder, she reportedly screamed, what? The small local community of Shedden was very shaken by the news.

Crowds of onlookers gathered at the courthouse to get a look at the four men and one woman charged with committing one of the bloodiest massacres in Canadian history. Meanwhile, back at Wayne Calistine's farm, the Ontario Provincial Police had entered the dilapidated barn where Confederate and Nazi flags adorned the walls. The barn was a mess. There was a hole in the roof. There were beer bottles strewn about and old mattresses and couches, refrigerators and old ride-on lawnmower, pipes and random pieces of wood. In the floor it was partially wet smeared with a faint reddish color like a mop had been used. In another area there were blood spatters and scattered pieces of human flesh and a bucket containing what appeared to be a bottle of bleach. Forensic testing would determine it was hydrochloric acid from Wayne Calistine's

wet work kit. They also found evidence of gunshot, a spent cartridge up in the barn loft and a shotgun spray on a wooden beam below it, but no firearms. The search continued. They needed to find the murder weapons. In the meantime, Michael Taz Sandim arrived back in Manitoba with the remaining three members of the Winnipeg crew, imposing nightclub co-owner Dwight Mushy and part-time bouncer Curtis Davidson, both in their mid-30s with past drug convictions, along with 30-year-old Marcelo Aravena, the pro mixed martial arts fighter who also worked part-time in Dwight's club. Dwight Massey could not believe that Michael Sandham, supposedly a sharp shooter with extensive firearms experience, wasn't able to finish off Jamie Goldberg Flans.

Michael had claimed that his firearm jammed, but Dwight didn't believe it. Meanwhile, Marcelo Aravena was feeling very pleased. He'd only been a friend of the club, but after the massacre, Michael Sandham had promoted him to official bandito prospect. Of course Michael had no authority to do so and none of them had official patches, so Marcelo Aravena wasn't getting one either. His mother volunteered to sew some patches together for him and the

rest of the Winnipeg crew. But Michael Taz Sandin was already eyeing up phase two of his plan. Now that he had overseen pulling the patches of the No Surrender crew, which also included their deaths, he was going to continue to build his relationship with US Bandido headquarters in Texas, independent of Wayne Callistine. When they met with Texas at Peace Edge Park at the US-Canada border, they had agreed that if they succeeded in pulling those patches, Wayne would be appointed National Bandito's President in Canada and Michael would be appointed National Secretary. He was aiming higher than that.

Michael Tass Sandham had always been ambitious and ruthless. It wouldn't be hard to convince Texas that Wayne Callistine was a loose cannon and couldn't be trusted to lead the Canadian Bandidos. The fact that he'd already been taken into custody was just a bonus. Texas would soon realize that Michael Sandham was the one who should be the national president, but he had a few things to take care of first. Michael took his car to a car wash in Winnipeg for an interior cleanup of the seats, carpet and upholstery. He signed in under a fake name. He had no idea that an off-duty constable who worked in organised crime happened to be there and recognised him from previous investigations.

Michael was notable because he was short, stocky and billed and balding. The constable watched him pay and leave. He noticed that the driver's side rear bumper of the car had been scraped and Michael was acting very paranoid, like someone who thought they might be under surveillance. Back in Ontario, it hadn't taken the Ontario Provincial Police investigators very long to suspect a link to the Winnipeg Banditos. After all, one of the men they arrested at Wayne Calistine's farm, the junior prospect member Brett Gardner, was from Winnipeg. There was also that printed email found in the Volkswagen that Choppa Reposo had received from Michael Taz Sandham. I'm not available. Stop calling the brothers homes and families.

It wasn't hard for the police to figure out who he was, that is, who he really was. Because as it turned out, Michael Taz Sandham had told a lot of lies to a lot of people. Nothing means more to your mum or mother figure than hearing your voice. So this Mother's Day, give her a call and a gift she'll treasure, an Aura digital picture frame. It looks like a modern photo frame, but it's digital, super easy to use and makes the perfect special gift. With the distance and my kids growing up so fast,

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You know, for texting and stuff. And if you're not getting rewards like extra data and dollars off with your mobile plan, you're not with Fizz. Switch today. Conditions apply. Details at fizz.ca. About six months before the massacre, the Winnipeg Sun had published a series of articles investigating outlaw biker clubs in the area.

The Bandidos had established a probationary chapter in Winnipeg. It revealed, quote, In a bizarre twist, the alleged president of the Manitoba chapter is former East St Paul police officer Michael Sandam. The rumours had been true all along. Michael Taz Sandam was a former police officer in a local Winnipeg police detachment. Strangely enough, while his club mates and associates had been discussing whether the rumours were true, the information had already been put on the public record for everyone to see. And that wasn't the only thing Michael Taz Sandham had been lying about. But because many of his lies

were based in truths, it wasn't hard for him to get away with it. So here's the real story. It was true that Michael had been in the army, but after he was honorably discharged, he worked as a vacuum cleaner salesman in Winnipeg. He wasn't very good at it, often resorting to visiting food banks to feed his wife and two children. He was reportedly really controlling of his wife

and wouldn't allow her to work. Michael Sandham did manage to convince his wife's parents to give him money to start up his own martial arts studio. That part was true. But his students noticed that he didn't actually seem to know any martial arts. And when his claims about having three black belts, winning multiple competitions and being trained by experts went completely unverified by any accredited organization, his martial arts studio went bankrupt.

He started illegally abusing steroids in an effort to bulk up and his behavior got worse. His wife filed for divorce saying he'd been physically abusive towards her and their two children. After that, Michael Sandham applied to the police academy, becoming an auxiliary constable in 1999, followed by full constable after graduation. He was known to be friendly, cooperative and an excellent shot. He was top of the class in marksmanship. But everything changed in October of 2002, after Michael Sandam had been in the force for about three years. He requested a week's leave to attend a relative's funeral out of town. Once again his story was rooted in truth. He was attending a funeral but it wasn't for a relative. For some reason Michael Sandham had decided he no longer wanted to be a police

officer. He was intent on joining the Outlaws motorcycle club, where he would go by the nickname Taz. And when he learned a senior Outlaws member in Northern Ontario had been found dead in his prison cell, Michael decided to attend the funeral in Sault Ste. Marie to make contact with the club. It would have taken him about 14 hours to drive there from Winnipeg and after the funeral he drove a further eight hours to join the outlaws at their clubhouse in Woodstock near the City of London, Ontario. What he didn't know was that the Ontario Provincial Police spotted him with the outlaws

and sent his picture to his superior at the Winnipeg Police. When confronted, Michael Sandham denied having any association with the outlaws or any other outlaw motorcycle club, but he knew he'd be facing disciplinary action. Turns out the police don't want Outlaw bikers any more than an Outlaw biker club wants a cop. So he resigned from the police force altogether, and now it was time to go full force and try to join the outlaws. Problem was,

they wouldn't have him. They reportedly knew he was a cop. But Michael Sandham didn't give up. In the meantime, he accepted a job teaching self-defence seminars to several groups connected to law enforcement and security. This was true. At one seminar, attendees were shocked when he showed them how to shoot and reload a shotgun while also fending off a predatory black bear. Many remembered it vividly because of how unnecessary and extreme it seemed. Around that time, Michael Sandham heard the Bandidos were looking for members,

and he first approached the Toronto chapter in 2003, when Wayne Callistine was in prison. Michael assumed John Boxer-Muchedre and the crew were all tough bikers, fully into the 1% of life and everything that went with it. He wanted to impress them with his credentials. So he told them he fought in the Bosnian War and served with the Canadian Airborne Regiment, the one that was disbanded after the racist military scandal. He added that he'd also served as bodyguard to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and members

of the British royal family. None of it was true, but he figured they wouldn't be able to say no to him. As he worked on lobbying the Bandidos, he took another day job as a by-law officer, doing admin duties and handing out parking tickets in Winnipeg. But after just a few months, he suddenly resigned, telling his supervisor the job was too stressful and he was having marital troubles. It appears that the real reason he quit that job is because that's when he'd finally wore Boxer-Muchedre down. Boxer agreed to establish a probationary chapter of the Bandidos in Winnipeg.

Of course, he never notified Texas about this or asked for official approval for it. But as far as Michael Sandham was concerned, he had finally succeeded in joining a prominent outlaw motorcycle club and had somehow managed to gather a small group of local Winnipeg misfits who believed he was an experienced biker who was now president of the new probationary chapter of the Banditos in Winnipeg. And he promised to get them all patched over as well. Dwight Mushey never really liked Michael Sandham. Curtis Davidson was not a fan either.

They thought he was a weak man who talked a big game. That's why Dwight called him Little Beaker instead of his preferred nickname of Taz. But they each wanted in on the methamphetamine trade and Michael promised he had the connections or he would once he got in with Wayne Callistine. We all know how that went. Back to the investigation. The Ontario Provincial Police had already suspected a connection to the Winnipeg Banditos, but something even bigger was unfolding. Wayne Callistine was completely unaware that there were two men at the farm that night with strong ties to the police. One was Michael Sandham and the other was a confidential police informant and it wasn't Jamie Goldberg Flans as Wayne had insisted or any of

the Toronto Banditos. It was the man we've called Curtis Davidson, construction worker, nightclub bouncer for Dwight Mushy, former bodyguard for Hells Angels leaders and father of three. Curtis Davidson, not his real name, had a past drug conviction and had previously worked as a paid informant for the Winnipeg police, feeding them intel on organized crime in exchange for payments. No one in the Bandidos knew any of this. Curtis wasn't on the job as. No one in the Bandidos knew any of this. Curtis wasn't on the job as an informant at the time. He had his own reasons for joining the Winnipeg chapter.

He had agreed to go with Michael Taz Sandham and the others to the farm in Ontario, supposedly to help Wayne Callistine pull the patches of the Toronto Bandidos, aka the No Surrender Crew. But the seven men did nothing but party at the farm for the best part of a week. And when the group started talking about a plan to lure the No Surrender Crew to the farm for a fake church meeting, Curtis Davidson realised this was the kind of intel the police might pay

him for as a confidential informant. So he found an opportunity to slip away to a nearby payphone and called his contact, Winnipeg constable Tim Deak, telling him the status of the Toronto chapter was to be pulled. Deak made a note but didn't take any action. Curtis tried to update him again as Wayne Callistine began talking openly about violence, gathering hidden firearms, showing them the wet work kit he used to clean up after he'd killed someone. Wayne warned they had to be prepared for the worst, declaring, If we kill one, we kill them all.

But when Curtis tried to call Constable Deak, his phone went to voicemail. Curtis couldn't very well leave a message, so he tried again later and found the mailbox was full. There wasn't much else he could do. But after the Winnipeg crew returned to Manitoba, the Bandidos massacre in Ontario was all over the news and Constable Tim Deak was now eager for information about it.

At first, Curtis claimed he'd left Wayne Calistine's farm before the killings and suggested the Hells Angels were behind it. But Diak wasn't buying it. He told Curtis the OPP already knew he was involved and gave him a choice, help the police or be charged with murder. Curtis agreed to cooperate, later claiming Diak told him the information he gave to police could be worth up to $750,000. But then things got weird. Before Constable Diak would connect the OPP with his informant, he insisted they take him out for a steak dinner.

The OPP were not impressed, but agreed to save some time. One officer later said Constable Deak ordered the most expensive item on the menu. Curtis Davidson provided DNA and fingerprints to the OPP in exchange for immunity and trial testimony. He gave a videotaped interview describing everything he'd witnessed that night, accompanied by drawings and sketches of the farm. He provided the sequence of events that police would verify through forensic evidence and that he would later testify to at trial. When Curtis asked the police about the $750,000 payment, they were slightly amused, but they did have a deal to offer him. If he agreed to wear a wire and gather more intel, they'd cover his rent for life and pay him $1,300 a month.

Once enough evidence was gathered for charges, Curtis and his family would enter witness protection to keep him safe. He agreed. He didn't have much of a choice. The investigation was dubbed Operation Octagon, a joint effort between the Ontario Provincial Police and the Winnipeg Police. An undercover surveillance team was assigned to monitor Michael Sandam's movements. It was, by this point, a week since the massacre, and they followed him driving out of Winnipeg for about 45 minutes. He still seemed paranoid

and appeared to be doing counter surveillance, stopping in car parks, circling blocks and doubling back. If anyone was following him, he clearly wanted them to lose his trail. It didn't work. The surveillance team watched him drop his common law wife and child out the front of a Walmart and then he drove around to the service bay.

The employee at the desk there would tell the police that Michael Sandham asked to have his car fitted with new tyres and his old ones bagged up so he could take them with him. The employee also said there was absolutely nothing wrong with the old tyres on his car. He also gave a false name. The police continued to surveil Michael Sandham as he drove back to Winnipeg. He stopped at the side of a remote country road and threw his old tyres down a ravine. After he drove off, the police retrieved those tyres for testing against tyre prints and soil samples they'd gathered in Ontario.

Operation Octagon was off to a good start, but it almost came completely undone. Later that same month, someone walking past a Winnipeg police station found a bunch of papers lying in the mud that looked like confidential police documents. The papers were turned over to the CBC, who saw they included details about a surveillance operation. CBC reported only that the confidential papers had been found and suggested carelessness within the Winnipeg police but didn't mention any specific details.

It was related to the Bandidos massacre in Ontario. Fortunately, Operation Octagon was not compromised. Fortunately, Operation Octagon was not compromised. Meanwhile, Michael Sandham was continuing to email with Bandido's headquarters in Texas to get in favor with them and convince them to make him the national president of the Canadian Bandidos. He received a response from the US Bandidos secretary, a man named Colton Bear. He wrote, quote, I wanted to let you know some Canadian police were down here in Texas for a few days gathering any info on our Canadian chapter. As you all know, we know nothing about Canada and hopefully that will change.

They are working on the murder cases, to be expected in a case that large with that much media. We told them everything we knew, which is nothing other than we don't have a clue what goes on in Canada and we had only met like one that was still in the club, Crash, and know he is dead. one that was still in the club, crash and know he is dead. Michael Sandham seemed to miss the point entirely and excitedly wrote in reply, quote, From now on, Canada will be run the true bandito way. But he wasn't the only one angling for national president. There were several Toronto bandidos who didn't make it to Wayne Calistine's farm for the church meeting and therefore survived the massacre. One of them was

25-year-old Pierre Carlito Aragon. He was also one of the two Toronto Bandidos sent to Winnipeg to kill Michael Sandham but showed up at his in-laws place instead. And now the two men hated each other. Carlito also started emailing US headquarters, positioning himself as the one to run the Canadian Bandidos. US Bandito secretary, Carlton Bear, was unclear about who Carlito even was. Texas had been wary of the Banditos in Canada for a while. The club had been a dumpster fire that wasn't making any money and didn't follow the rules. And now this massacre had happened, attracting a global audience interested in the Bandidos. It was extra heat the club's US headquarters definitely did not want. Carlton Bear sent a reply email to

Pierre Carlito Aragon and copied Michael Sandham. He stated that the US did not trust the Canadian Bandidos and pointed out that many of them did not even know how to ride a motorcycle. Quote, take the time to read the bylaws I sent you. That is the real understanding of who we are, not criminals. There may be a few scattered here and there like every org, but we are a motorcycle club with riding principles first. Being a criminal street gang and thug will only end with troubles."

Michael Sandham replied back with an enthusiastic, thank you, that the Brotherhood meant everything to him. But in separate emails to Texas, he pointed at Pierre Carlito Aragon as the cause of all the problems in Canada, claiming Carlito had recruited riffraff off the street to be new Bandidos members without adhering to the protocol. But they were tightening things up now. Michael gave assurances that Canada was now being run properly. By him. There was another flurry of emails. Pierre Carlito Aragon decided to email the president of the Bandidos in Australia

to ask for support, claiming the US wasn't stepping up. He also criticized Michael Sandham and the Winnipeg crew for communicating directly with US headquarters and being so smug about it. Michael Sandam then wrote to US headquarters and revealed that Carlito did not know how to ride a motorcycle and had tried to murder him and might try again. Carlito denied this, claiming that only been sent up to Winnipeg to strengthen the brotherhood, but Michael Sandham rebuffed them. Carlito continued to angle for president, saying he was in talks with some legit potential new members

who all owned their own Harleys, adding, quote, We were also in the process of setting up a Manitoba probationary chapter. When Michael Sandham found out about this email, he wrote to the president of the Bandidos Australia, who apparently had some influence. Michael clarified that he was the national president of Bandidos Canada, which were now being run out of Winnipeg, and all the members were fully patched in. Australia got in touch with the US for clarity. It was more lies.

Michael Sandham was ordered to come to Texas for a face-to-face meeting. He asked Dwight Mushey and Curtis Davidson to go with him, but they both declined. Because Curtis was now a police informant on the case, he passed on this information and the police at the border were waiting for Michael Sandham to arrive. US Customs had agreed to allow him to cross so surveillance could continue. customs had agreed to allow him to cross so surveillance could continue. Michael Tassandum at least had a motorcycle, riding it south to Texas. By this point, it had been seven weeks since the massacre.

Once he arrived in Houston, he was introduced to Jeff Pike, the world leader of Bandido Nation, who asked him point-blank what he knew about the murders. Michael gave a vague answer and called Wayne Callistine a crazy motherfucker. He returned to his hotel in Houston and stayed there for the next few days, waiting for further contact from Jeff Pike. Finally, the phone rang. Texas had heard that he was a police officer and wanted to know if it was true. Michael dismissed it, saying he had once been an auxiliary officer, but he was never a full constable. When the call ended, he did not wait for further instructions from Texas.

He headed straight back to Canada for safety and to figure out what to do next. When he got back to Winnipeg, Michael Sandham told Dwight Mushey and Curtis Davidson about his meeting in Texas. He said Texas didn't really care about the killings and everything was hunky dory. It was more lies. US leadership didn't believe a word of his explanation about being an auxiliary officer. In the two months since the massacre,

they had been humiliated and embarrassed when the media reported that most of the Canadian Bandidos were bikers without bikes. Finding out that one of them was also a former cop was the last straw. Jeff Pike sent out a mass email to all the Bandidos Nation members worldwide, calling the Canadians out for their lies and deceit. Quote, you people change patches like you change your underwear. He wrote that Michael Taz Sandham had just visited them in Texas and shortly after he

left the OPP and bikerforcement Unit from Canada had shown up. Quote, As it turns out, Taz is or was a police officer in Winnipeg. When asked about it, he said everybody in Toronto knew about it and didn't have a problem with it. We do not have or never will have cops or ex-cops in our club. The leader of Bandito Nation announced that Michael Taz Sandham had been kicked out of the Banditos and all Canadian members had been suspended.

But Michael Sandham didn't give up. He went into damage control, creating a fake Hotmail account with a handle that looked very similar to Dwight Mushy's. It was intentional. He used it to email US Secretary Colton Bear in an attempt to impersonate Dwight, asking, What just happened? Taz is not a cop, nor was he ever a real one very far from it? Michael then emailed Pierre Carlito Aragon, the Toronto bandito who'd been sent to kill him and was also angling to be president of Canada. Still impersonating Dwight Mushy, he wrote, Things are really fucked up. For one thing, Taz is not a cop, nor has he ever been a real one.

I guess Canada will never get an endorsement from the states. Neither of them had any idea that the police were closing in on them both for different reasons. And there was actually a third person competing for leadership. If you like Canadian true crime and you're not listening to Casefile yet, stop what you're doing and subscribe. Casefile is an award-winning podcast hosted by an anonymous Australian narrator, and it's the main show that inspired me to start this one. From infamous mysteries to lesser known stories, Casefile is known for gripping storytelling

and meticulous research. Find out why it's a global phenomenon. Listen to Casefile True Crime, new episodes weekly on all major platforms. With the Fizz loyalty program, you get rewarded just for having a mobile plan. You know, for texting and stuff. And if you're not getting rewards like extra data and dollars off with your mobile plan, you're not with FIZ. Switch today. Conditions apply. Details at FIZ.ca. If you're trying to cut back on plastic bottles and reduce your environmental footprint,

start with your water. Unfiltered tap water often means turning to bottled water. Kinetico Systems gives you clean, safe, great tasting water right from your tap. No waste, no compromise. Better for your health and better for the planet. Right now, podcast listeners get 10% off. Visit kineticogta.ca slash podcast to book your free in-home water consultation today. Live clean. Drink clean. With Kinetico.gta.ca slash podcast to book your free in-home water consultation today. Live clean, drink clean with Kinetico. Meanwhile, police informant Curtis Davidson had been wearing a wire and was trying to

provoke his Winnipeg colleagues into talking about the massacre. It wasn't easy. Their junior prospect member Brett Gardner had been arrested at the farm, so Dwight Mushey and newest prospect Marcelo Aravena suspected the police had probably bugged them. They were a bit cagey, using vague language and hand signals to communicate. The police suggested to Curtis that he tell his associates that Michael Sandham had been taking credit for killing more members of the No Surrender crew than he actually had. Because Curtis Davidson's version of events was the only version they had,

it needed to be verified with other evidence. Curtis had told the police that as the church meeting started in the barn, Brett Gardner and Marcelo Aravena were in the farmhouse, monitoring the police scanner. Curtis was hiding outside the barn with Dwight Mushey and Frank Maither when the first unexpected shootout happened and they

rushed in holding shotguns. The only people inside the barn, apart from the no surrender crew, were Wayne Callistine holding a semi-automatic pistol in one hand and a rifle in the other, and Michael Taz Sandham in the rafters with a different rifle. He claimed responsibility for killing Chopper Raposo in that first shootout.

Wayne took over after that. He'd already opened fire at Big Pauli Synopoly and crashed Creorachus when they tried to run out of the barn. And over the next two hours, Wayne marched them outside, one by one, along with boxer Mushedre, Pony Jessam, Bam Bam Salerno and little Mikey Trotter. Wayne Callistine shot all six of them dead. But because he was also a hateful, bigoted man, he left Jewish member Goldberg Flans until last

to make him suffer. Michael Tassandum stepped up at that moment, volunteering to shoot Goldberg point blank with Wayne's semi-automatic pistol. But he botched it. Goldberg had a cheek wound but was still alive. Michael seemed stunned and claimed the pistol had jammed. Dwight Mushey finished the job. So according to Curtis Davidson's version of events, Michael Tass-Santum In the tell his associates that Michael had been boasting he'd killed three members of the

No Surrender crew and see how they reacted. Dwight Mushey and Marcelo Aravena both scoffed. Dwight added that Little Beaker often took other people's stories and told them as his own. In another conversation captured by The Wire, Dwight was full of contempt as they discussed Michael Taz Sandim's newest claim that the real reason he didn't kill Goldberg was because they both had young children. Dwight laughed as he recalled Goldberg's final moments, that his eyes were really big and he looked like he was about to say something when Dwight quote, went to finish him off. The imposing nightclub co-owner also referred to some of the other No Surrender crew members

that night. He said he was surprised when he saw Crash Kriarakis start crying. He described Bam Bam Salerno as someone who kept talking the whole time. Dwight also referred to boxer Moushedre, saying he went out like a man, quote, supposedly the first one he got he laughed. In the meantime, the Ontario Provincial Police were continuing the search of Wayne Callistine's farm. They'd found some evidence of a shootout in the barn, but no actual firearms. They had to go deeper. Amongst the ashes in the fire pit was a bunch of burned keys, which would be matched to the houses and apartments of the No Surrender crew.

They found a partially burned business card from Goldberg Flanz's computer consulting company and a ring that DNA testing would confirm had his skin flakes on it. There was also a baseball cap with a hair belonging to Crash Kriarakis. A constable was searching the kitchen in Wayne's farmhouse and pulled the microwave out of its cubby. He stopped in his tracks. Behind it wasn't just a blank wall, but a small, concealed doorway. He had just stumbled on a hidden compartment. Inside was exactly what they were looking for. 18 firearms in total including several that

had visible blood on them. Two of those firearms were found to be the most deadly, a semi-automatic pistol and a rifle. It was determined that they were the firearms Wayne Callistine had been holding at the start of the church meeting. They'd also been used to kill almost all of the No Surrender crew, everyone except Chopra Pozo. The autopsies had found that the other seven members had been shot from a close range, execution style. They'd all received at least two bullets. Some of them had been shot up to nine times, with the majority to the head, face, neck and upper chest. In fact, most of them had actually been shot with both the semi-automatic pistol and the rifle.

More than 30 shots put into the no surrender crew in total, not including any that may have missed. It signaled a very strong intent to kill. This finding was also consistent with the matching spent cartridges recovered from inside the four vehicles with the bodies and on the floor of the barn, and it fit with Curtis Davidson's sequence of events and the evidence collected from the wire. In addition to the gunshot wounds, many of the victims also suffered other injuries, including lacerations and bruising to their wrists and hands, the wounds of people who tried to defend themselves. Boxer Muxedre, Wayne Calistine's old friend and mentee, was hit one of the hardest. As well as being shot multiple times, many of his teeth had been fractured.

He suffered severe abrasions to both knees and had extensive bruises to his lower right body. The evidence strongly suggested that Boxer had been forced to kneel at some point. The autopsies of those seven no surrender crew members were pretty straightforward, but the autopsy for treasurer Chopper Raposo was something else altogether. Curtis Davidson had told the police that he didn't see what happened during that first initial shootout. When he and the others ran into the barn with their shotguns, Michael Sandham claimed Chopper had fired at him

first and he shot back from the rafters. Michael was wearing a bulletproof vest. Chopper was mortally wounded. In the autopsy uncovered some very strange details. Chopper's middle finger was completely missing, the same middle finger he always held up whenever a camera was pointed at him. It was determined that the bullet that killed Chopper was shot from the rafters right into his middle finger, shattering it. It may have been a coincidence, but Michael Tassandum was a top marksman after all. The bullet fragments continued with tiny pieces of Chopper's finger, forming a barrage of projectiles that tore into his upper chest and neck, damaging major arteries and filling his chest cavity with blood. While all of this made

it difficult to identify the firearm that shot Chopper, the experts determined it was unlikely to be a shotgun. But during the search of the property, the police had also found another hidden firearm in a basement ceiling, a.303 caliber rifle that matched the spent cartridge found up in the rafters. It was consistent with Curtis Davidson's version of events. It was determined that Michael Taz Sandham had most likely fired the shot that killed Chopra Reposo. The police also wanted to prove that his vehicle had been at the farm.

They'd been shadowing him in Winnipeg as he replaced his tyres and discarded the old ones by the side of the road. The Winnipeg police seized those tyres for testing and found they were a match to the tyre tracks in the mud at Wayne Calistine's farm. Soil samples had been collected from the area where the four vehicles had been abandoned near Shedden, which were found to be consistent with the soil caked on Michael Taz Sandham's old tyres. It was evidence that his car had been at both locations.

With this, there was now enough evidence to arrest the remaining perpetrators of the Bandidos massacre. Only three of them had actually killed people that night, but it was determined they were all equally responsible for the planning and execution of the eight members of the No Surrender crew. Winnipeg prospect Brett Gardner was already in custody with Wayne Callistine, his prison pal Frank Mather and the couple who showed up to the farm the next day.

Curtis Davidson had immunity as a police informant. Only three suspects remained. Only three suspects remained. Early in the morning of June 16th, 2006, just over two months after the massacre, police in Winnipeg, Manitoba raided the homes of Dwight Mushey, Marcelo Aravena, and a very petrified Michael Taz Sandham. When the tactical team sent a hammer through his window, he ran out of the house, upset that the police thought he wouldn't go willingly.

He told them, quote, I was one of you guys for crying out loud. You think I'm going to give you guys a hassle? Michael Sandham's police interview wasn't released publicly, but according to press reports the 37-year-old insisted he was no longer with the Banditos. He told the police he'd left the club more than a year earlier. He denied over and over again that he was at Wayne's farm that Friday night. But the police had a plethora of evidence to the contrary.

Michael Tassandum had been angling to be named the national leader of the Canadian Banditos, or what was left of them. He was competing with Pierre Carlito Aragon, the Toronto bandito who'd been sent to the wrong address in Winnipeg to kill him. If Carlito was pleased to hear his rival had been arrested, it wasn't for long because the Ontario Provincial Police were closing in on him too, as part of a separate investigation into a Toronto murder. The badly beaten and burned body of 35-year-old Sean Douse

had been found in a field in Toronto four months before the Shedden massacre. He had a family and a normal job, but dealt cocaine on the side, apparently to the wrong people. Police tracked his last known location to the townhouse where Jamie Goldberg Flans lived and determined Sean Douse had actually been killed there as

well. Investigators believed Goldberg was involved along with Big Paulie Sinopoli and some other members of the Toronto Banditos. But shortly after the police commenced a wiretap and surveillance operation, they discovered Goldberg wasn't actually at home when the crime was committed. As one of the newer members of the Toronto Bandidos, he'd been letting more senior members use his townhouse for business and was not happy to learn that instead used it to lure, ambush,

and kill Sean Douse, leaving blood spatter in multiple areas. And one of those more senior members happened to be 25-year-old Pierre Carlito Aragon. So while Goldberg had been ruled out, the police still suspected Carlito, Big Paulie and some others for the murder. And that's why Goldberg's Infinity SUV was being shadowed as he and Big Paulie drove out to the farm that Friday evening.

After the surveillance team waited outside for two hours, they packed up thinking nothing was happening. The following day, they would realise that they left just after the initial shootout that left Chopra Reposo dead, and they didn't hear any of the gunshots. So shortly after Michael Sandam and the Winnipeg crew were charged with murdering the No Surrender crew, the police arrested Pierre Carlito Aragon for the murder of Sean Douse, along with three other Toronto bandidos named Cameron Acorn, Randolph Brown and Bobby Quinn. They had all been fortunate enough to avoid the church meeting that night

and eventually pleaded guilty to charges ranging from aggravated assault to second-degree murder. The police announced that if Big Paulie had lived, he would have been arrested too for participating in the savage beating of Shaun Douse. With the deaths of the No Surrender crew and all these arrests, the Canadian bandidos were all but wiped out yet again. But there was one man still standing. While Michael Tassandum and Pierre Carlito Aragon had been vying for national leadership,

neither of them knew that US headquarters were in serious talks with a third contender. It was Frank Lenti, the tough veteran biker who'd been brought in a few years earlier to invigorate the Toronto bandidos. As a serious one percenter known as a living legend in outlaw biker circles, Frank had been suspicious about Michael Tass Sandham possibly being a cop and had not been very impressed with Wayne Callistine's casual approach to background checks and vetting. Frank Lentie decided the chapter was full of amateurs and quit more than a year before the massacre. But in the weeks afterwards, he rejoined the Bandidos and US headquarters made him an offer.

If Frank was able to build a new Canadian Bandidos from scratch, properly this time, Texas would consider bringing Canada back into the club. Frank agreed. But when the Hells Angels found out about this, they were apparently upset. Just a few months later, two bikers associated with the Toronto Hells Angels were charged with conspiring to murder Frank Lenti. A third was actually a confidential police informant being paid a million dollars by the Ontario government to gather information on the Howells Angels. Later, the trial for the two bikers would hear compelling evidence that the informant was lying and manipulating the situation to get information he could be paid for. It seems there was never actually a hit ordered on Frank Lenti, and the two bikers would be acquitted.

But back when they were first arrested, the police had of course notified Frank Lenti that the Hells Angels had been conspiring to murder him, and he was still on edge. Shortly after that, Frank was confronted at a club by more Toronto Hells Angels. Surveillance footage showed Frank Lenti trying to de-escalate. But then a tough sergeant at arms named David Buchanan began punching him. Lenti drew a handgun and fired, killing Buchanan and injuring two others. Frank Lenti turned himself in the next day, saying he believed the Hells Angels had again been sent to kill him. A very unfortunate situation.

The surveillance footage would confirm Frank Lenti acted in self-defense, and he would be allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter, receiving a sentence of six years. The Bandidos in Canada were officially, officially over. Eric Neeson and his partner Kerry had been stunned when they were charged with first-degree murder. They hadn't been at the farm during the killings.

They'd shown up with beer in the afternoon expecting to party, unaware they were walking into the middle of a clean-up. The police knew this within six weeks of their arrest and their first-degree murder charges were downgraded to accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice. They were both released on bail and Kerry's charges were dropped completely shortly after that. As for her partner Eric Neeson, he reached a deal with the Crown to plead guilty to obstruction

of justice. He said he hadn't witnessed the killings and didn't know who was responsible, but he admitted that after he and Kerry arrived at the farm, he was aware that evidence was being destroyed there and had reason to believe it was connected to what he'd heard on the news. Eric Neeson admitted to lying to the police and helping Wayne Calistine fabricate an alibi for them all. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

The trial for the case known as the Shedden Massacre began almost three years later in March of 2009, the six remaining accused were each charged with eight counts of first degree murder. If convicted, they would face a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. The trial became one of the longest and most complex in Ontario history. The crown star witness was the man we've referred to as Curtis Davidson,

who had been in witness protection with his family. Security needed to be extremely tight, so the trial was held in a specially designed high-tech courtroom in London, Ontario, originally built for an earlier biker Club case involving the outlaws that never made it to trial. The courtroom had secure glass walled holding areas for each defendant and multiple tables for their defence lawyers. There was only one secure public entrance with two separate security checkpoints monitored by police and weapon scanners. To prove the men were guilty of first degree murder, the Crown needed to show the Shedden

massacre wasn't just some chaotic biker brawl that got out of hand. It was the result of a calculated and premeditated plan to eliminate the Toronto chapter of the Bandidos. The court heard that the order from US headquarters was only to pull their patches. But at some point in the days leading up to the church meeting, Wayne Callistine changed that plan to mass murder. Wayne was named the leader of the plan and the one who carried out most of the murders with his personal firearms. Michael Sandam and Dwight Mushey were described

as key drivers of Wayne's plan and also participated in two of the murders. Brett Gardner and Marcelo Aravena aided and abetted, along with Frank Mather. The Crown presented all the forensic evidence, ballistics evidence, cell phone and email records, wiretaps and more to show that all six men participated in the planning, preparation and facilitation of the massacre and that they all worked together afterwards to get away with it. One of the most significant pieces of evidence was of course the testimony of Curtis Davidson, not his real name. Had he not agreed to testify against the others, he would have been on trial right beside them. Curtis Davidson, by this point around 40 years old, testified he had no idea that there was to be any killing

until after he arrived at the farm, when Wayne started referring to a plan with violence and murder. As for that sudden burst of gunfire as he hid outside the barn, Curtis described it as sounding like popcorn. And then Chopra Pozo was dead. He testified about the sequence of events after that, including Wayne Callistine's strange behavior and mood swings, holding members of the No Surrender crew hostage as he sang, danced and joked about the situation. The jury and the families of the eight murdered men heard chilling details about Wayne's cruel violence, how he taunted them, promised some that they would be allowed to go home and that he would take others to the hospital. He taunted Jewish member

Jamie Goldberg-Flans the most. The jury also heard the recordings that Curtis Davidson had captured on The Wire, particularly Dwight Mushy and his personal anecdotes about the church meeting, including his comment about finishing Goldberg off after Michael Sandham failed. At one point when Curtis was testifying, pro MMA fighter Marcelo Aravena made threatening gestures at him from the prisoner's box, cocking his hand into the shape of a gun and pretending to shoot. The judge warned him to cut it out. It was now time for the defence and the separate lawyers for each of the accused argued there was no planning or intent for mass murder. Logically, what would any of them have to gain, they argued.

There was no money or turf to fight over. The Toronto chapter was considered such a failure, it had already been expelled from the Bandidos. And why would US headquarters appoint any of them to senior leadership positions in the Canadian Bandidos after they wiped out most of the members. The Crown may have argued that the six accused men shared responsibility for the massacre, but five of those men blamed Wayne Callistine. He was portrayed as a psychopathic madman who turned what was supposed to be a meeting

to pull patches into mass murder. And the others essentially painted themselves as petrified bystanders in the middle of a chaotic situation orchestrated by Wayne. Any aiding and abetting they may have done as he marched the members of the No Surrender crew outside, one by one, was under threat or duress, they argued. Wayne Callistine and Michael Sandam pointed the finger at each other.

Wayne's lawyer argued that the only reason anything violent happened at the farm that night was because Michael Sandam and the Winnipeg crew showed up to force action, and he did have a motive for murder. He was out for revenge after finding out that two Toronto bandidos had been sent to kill him. Wayne Calistine's defense was that Michael Sandim was in control that night along with Dwight Mushy and Wayne only acted under duress. mushy and Wayne only acted under duress.

The Crown had painted Michael Taz Sandham as power hungry and manipulative, a former Winnipeg police officer who joined the Banditos with the goal of achieving status in the club's hierarchy. But when Michael took to the witness box in his own defense, he claimed his goal was to become a police informant. That's the only reason he joined an outlaw biker club in the first place. He claimed he was just acting as a biker, and everything he knew about it he learnt from internet research. He burst into tears many times throughout his testimony. Michael Sandham testified that at the secret meeting at Peace Edge Park, US headquarters ordered

Wayne Callistine to pull the patches of the No Surrender crew, but also ordered him to kill John Boxer-Muchedre and Frank Bam Bam Salerno. This was contrary to Curtis Davidson's evidence. Michael added that he was on board with the plan to pull the patches because he wanted to make sure the Toronto Bandidos paid for what they did. But he didn't want anyone to die, so once he arrived at the farm,

he asked Wayne for reassurance. He testified that Wayne promised, quote, no blood will be spilled on my property. Michael Sandham claimed that when Chopper Reposo fired up at him first, hitting his bulletproof vest, he was sent backwards and his rifle went off accidentally. Presumably, it just happened to smash through Chopper's middle finger. Michael claimed he didn't intentionally shoot Chopper. What happened was an act of self-defense and it was the only time he fired a gun the entire night. 40-year-old Michael Sandham broke down again in the witness

box saying quote, I thought I was going to get killed that I might have to shoot somebody to get out of there. He denied firing at Jamie Goldberg Flan's which was also contrary to Curtis Davidson's testimony and the comments made by Dwight Mushey. Speaking of which, Dwight Mushey didn't testify, but his lawyer accused Curtis Davidson of lying to secure immunity for himself. Now 41 years old, Dwight claimed he didn't participate in any of the planning, and although he was at the farmhouse that night, he didn't pull any trigger. Dwight's lawyer argued that the imposing nightclub co-owner, with a reputation for

being polite but frightening if you crossed him, was actually under extreme stress that night, so much so that he had to excuse himself to take heart medication. That left Brett Gardner, Marcelo Aravena and Frank Mather. Their defence lawyers tried to minimise their involvement in the massacre, each claiming to be on the fringe of the club and completely unaware of what was about to unfold that night. Brett Gardner wasn't a real bandito, just a prospect member who was young, naive and easily influenced. By this point, he was 25 years old. Marcelo Aravena wasn't even a prospect.

He was just a friend of the club and claimed he was following orders under threat that night. And Frank Maither, the one with red hair and a swastika tattoo, wasn't affiliated with the Bandidos at all. The 35-year-old just needed a place to stay and knew Wayne Callistine from prison. The lawyers for all three argued separately that they didn't know about any plan in advance. They were just outsiders, manipulated or coerced into participating, and too low in rank to have had any power or intent. 33-year-old Marcelo Aravena, the pro-MMA fighter, chose to testify in his own defense.

He said he had no knowledge of internal conflict within the Bandidos and believed that the Winnipeg cruise trip to the farm was just for fun and partying. Marcello Aravena portrayed Wayne Callistine as someone who frequently acted like a madman and told a story about going on a walk around the farm a few days before the church meeting. He said Wayne reached into a tree, grabbed a handful of a black substance and ate it, claiming it was raccoon feces and it tasted good. Classic Wayne Marcelo Aravena also testified that Wayne threatened to kill him and his family if he ever spoke out about what happened.

He said that he was a man of great faith family if he ever spoke out about what happened. In closing arguments, the Crown acknowledged that Mather, Gardner and Aravena didn't physically commit any of the murders, but aided and abetted those who did. And they may have been lower ranked associates, but they each played a role in confining the victims and standing guard to facilitate the killings. Therefore, the jury should find them just as guilty of first degree murder as Wayne Callistine, Michael Sandham and Dwight Mushey.

The trial lasted more than six months and more than 70 witnesses testified. Each of the six men accused was facing eight charges, making it a total of 48. The judge took two full days to carefully instruct the jury. In October of 2009, the jury returned guilty verdicts for them all. Calistine, Sandim and Mushy were each found guilty of all eight counts of first-degree murder. The three men who aided and abetted them, Mather, Aravena and Gardner, were also found guilty, but four of their verdicts were for manslaughter instead of first degree murder. It was reportedly the largest number of murder convictions produced at a single criminal trial in Canada at the time. After the verdicts were read, Marcello Aravena was

observed having another outburst, calling the defense lawyers goofs and pieces of shit. He yelled at his own lawyer, fuck you Tony, and spat on him as he was removed from the courtroom. Before sentencing, he would apologize to the victims' families, along with Brett Gardner. There were 25 victim impact statements filed by the families of John Boxamushadre, Frank Bam Bam Salerno, Luis Choparaposo, George Crash Criaracus, Jamie Goldberg-Flans, Big Pauli Sinopoli, George Pony Jessam and Little Mikey Trotter. Their loved ones expressed their devastation and grief at the profound loss they'd suffered.

They also pushed back against public comments dismissing the men as disposable. The eight men were much more than just bikers. They were loved by many as sons, brothers, fathers and even grandfathers. The victim impact statements also pointed out the irony that the men joined a club that was supposed to be about loyalty, respect, honour and brotherhood. But instead, their trust was betrayed and they were treated with contempt, indignity and hatred. For what the judge described as horrific acts of violence, the six men were each given an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years.

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With the FIZ loyalty program, you get rewarded just for having a mobile plan. You know, for texting and stuff. And if you're not getting rewards like extra data and dollars off with your mobile plan, you're not with FIZ. Switch today, conditions apply, details at fiz.ca. Public calls that star witness Curtis Davidson had been let off lightly,

but the Crown prosecutor pointed out that had he not agreed to testify, he would have also been on trial himself. And Curtis Davidson's evidence was vital to the case and the guilty verdicts. In 2010, the year after the trial, Toronto Star journalist Peter Edwards published his book on the case, The Bandito Massacre, a true story of bikers, brotherhood and betrayal. In a promotional interview he described the massacre as being for nothing. Quote, no money changed hands in the murders,

nobody made a penny. To have that level of violence fought for absolutely nothing except being in the pecking order of people who wear a patch with a cartoon character on their back is just bizarre. Edwards described the massacre as patently absurd and a pointless tragedy. Quote, in order to gain control of the club in Canada, the killers destroyed it. It was as though the killers were fighting for a bigger share of nothing. Peter Edwards described Wayne Callistine as a sociopath with a real level of cruelty. And in reference to the four

vehicles having to be abandoned so close to the farm, he said Wayne was a truly stupid man whose actions had bewildered investigators. As for Michael Taz Sandham, Edwards described him as an ambitious and secretive habitual liar with a quote high squeaky voice that

made him sound like he should be passing out coloring books and getting ready to lead a sing-song. Later, former treasurer Glen Wrongway Atkinson would tell Peter Edwards that he had no doubt that he would have been dead too, had he not quit the Toronto Bandidos just before Frank Lenti did. He said the whole thing had been for nothing, quote, An absolute waste. A whole bunch of kids without dads. All six men announced they would be appealing, but by the time the appeal was heard in 2014, Michael Taz Sandim had dropped out.

So Dwight Mushey, Brett Gardner, Marcelo Aravena and Frank Mather argued separately that the trial judge made a mistake by not allowing the jury to consider a defense of duress, which means they were forced to commit serious offenses under threat of death. As National Post columnist Christy Blatchford put it, quote, In other words, these men were scared for their own lives darn it and can't have been reasonably expected to flee Calistine's farm because he was a very bad, very frightening man. Wayne Calistine argued he wasn't tried fairly because the others attacked his character and portrayed him as frightening and deranged. To this, Christy Blatchford wrote,

You see, some of the convicted men say they were scared of Callistine, and Callistine says he got robbed of a fair trial because they said he was scary. All the appeals were dismissed. They'll all be eligible for parole in 2034. Thanks for listening. On a personal note, this has been the most complicated case I've ever covered, with so many perpetrators and victims,

each with separate backstories and motivations. There are obviously also many threads and side stories tied to this case, and a lot of decisions had to be made about what needed to be left out. So if you want to delve in even deeper, I highly recommend Peter Edwards' book, The Bandito Massacre. It's an excellent book with many insightful details about all the various people involved in the context of the wider history of outlaw biker clubs in Canada. I was struck by the many ties in this case to the deeper issue of male loneliness and isolation. So many of these men were just looking for friendship, belonging and a sense of brotherhood and apparently their best option was to join

an outlaw biker club that promoted a very distorted and violent version of that. They sadly paid for it with their lives. No wonder there's a male loneliness epidemic. If you found this series compelling, we'd love for you to tell a friend, post on social media or leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. This series has been primarily pieced together from multiple court documents and the news archives, most notably the reporting of Jane Sims for the London Free Press, Timothy Appleby for the Globe and Mail and Peter Edwards for The Toronto Star, as well as his 2010 book, The Bandito Massacre.

For the full list of resources and anything else you want to know about the podcast, visit CanadianTrueCrime.ca and follow us on the Canadian True Crime Facebook and Instagram pages to see photos and clippings. Canadian True Crime donates monthly to those facing injustice. This month we have donated to the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime who offer support, research and education to survivors, victims and their families. You can learn more at crcvc.ca. Audio editing was by Crosby Audio and Eric Crosby voiced the disclaimer.

Our senior producer is Lindsay Eldridge, Carol Weinberg is our script consultant. Research, writing, narration and sound design was by me and the theme songs were composed by We Talk of Dreams. I'll be back soon with another Canadian True Crime episode. See you then.