Two Convicted in Hells Angels Associate Murder

A jury in Perth, Ont., has found two men guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Hells Angels recruit Greg Slewidge in nearby Beckwith Township more than four years ago.

Crown prosecutors claimed Michael Clairoux and Lee Marazzo plotted and executed the killing of the 39-year-old at a legal marijuana grow-op on Sept. 24, 2020.

They were each charged with first-degree murder in January 2022 and both pleaded not guilty.

The jury began deliberating mid-afternoon Wednesday and returned with their verdicts Thursday afternoon.

After it was announced, there were tears and embraces among the victim’s family, while those who knew the accused responded differently. Some exited the courtroom immediately.

The sentence for first-degree murder is life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for 25 years. Attorneys for Clairoux and Marazzo indicated Thursday that they plan to appeal the verdict.

Family shares their pain from loss

Slewidge’s family, including his father Lyndon – a former Ontario Provincial Police officer and a well-known Ottawa Senators anthem singer – attended the closing arguments and read victim impact statements Thursday.

“I have been robbed, beaten down, wounded, severely scarred and left to think and mourn daily my son’s life, what happened and what his life would have been,” said Lyndon, expressing the fear his family faced after his son was murdered without any arrests for months.

He added that his exhaustion and heartbreak following his son’s death prevented him from singing.

Greg Slewidge’s youngest sister Heather Ball told court he was both a friend and big brother.

“Every day feels incomplete without him,” she stated, saying she will never find closure and is “constantly haunted” by her loss.

During these statements, supporters of both convicted men sat quietly as Slewidge’s family wiped away tears from their eyes.

Tension over video evidence

The court case focused on high-definition surveillance footage along with conflicting accounts about who appears in those videos. 

The Crown argued during closing remarks this week that the two men ambushed Slewidge, who was set to become a full-patch Hells Angels member the following week. They allegedly used a rope to strangle him then left his body with a knife embedded in his back. 

Greg Slewidge, 39, was found dead on Sept. 24, 2020, at a former meat-packing plant just outside Carleton Place, Ont. (OPP)

Prosecutors claim that the men were hired by someone from the Red Devils Motorcycle Club, an affiliate of Hells Angels, due to a dispute regarding car repairs. 

The defense attorneys argued that clothing details matched Clairoux and Marazzo but questioned how reliable the surveillance footage really was along with whether their clients were properly identified; they suggested they may have been framed.

Additional security measures were implemented during proceedings. The courtroom had police presence throughout while everyone entering underwent searches.

The victim’s family and supporters of the accused were present in court which created a tense environment during parts of closing arguments.

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