Leslie Douglas Greenwood Hell's Angel Hitman Has Conviction For Killing Couple In Their Home Overturned For Second Time. He Is Still Serving Time For Killing Two Other Ppl. $150K For Info On Missing Troy Cook Of Truro, N.S..

[Greg Carr]

Leslie Douglas Greenwood Hell's Angel Hitman Has Conviction For Killing Couple In Their Home Overturned For Second Time. He Is Still Serving Time For Killing Two Other Ppl. $150K For Info On Missing Troy Cook Of Truro, N.S.

Nova Scotia
Murder convictions overturned for alleged Hells Angels hit man

Leslie Douglas Greenwood has been tried twice over the deaths of Kirk Mersereau and Nancy Christensen

Blair Rhodes · CBC News · Posted: Jul 26, 2022 3:16 PM AT | Last Updated: July 26

Leslie Greenwood is escorted through the courthouse in Kentville, N.S., on Jan. 9, 2018. (CBC)
Nearly 22 years after Kirk Mersereau and Nancy Christensen were murdered in their Nova Scotia home, the man accused of killing them is facing the prospect of a third trial on two charges of first-degree murder.

In a decision released Tuesday, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned the latest conviction of Leslie Douglas Greenwood, a reputed Hells Angels hit man.

Mersereau and Christensen were found dead in their home in Centre Burlington, N.S., on Sept. 9, 2000. They had been shot. Their infant son was lying unscathed in another room.

Initial conviction overturned
Greenwood was initially tried and convicted in a jury trial in 2012. But that conviction was overturned on appeal.

Greenwood was retried in January 2019. Jurors in that second trial were told about the first trial, but not the guilty verdict. So much time had passed, that some of the witnesses from that first trial had died and recordings of their testimony were played in court. That included Ruby McKenzie, the neighbour who discovered the bodies.

According to evidence in the various trials, all four murders were ordered by a Nova Scotia man, Jeffrey Albert Lynds, who has since died in prison.

The Crown's key witness against Greenwood in the Nova Scotia murders was Michael Lawrence, who had already pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in their deaths.

In statements he made to police, Greenwood admitted to driving Lawrence to the scene of the murders but he said he did not go inside.

Fatal errors
In its ruling, the Court of Appeal said there were fatal errors in the trial judge's instructions to the jury, including on the question of whether Greenwood knew ahead of time that the plan was to murder Mersereau and Christensen.

"Based on the charge to the jury, they may have been left with the impression they could convict Greenwood of first degree murder because he drove Lawrence to the Mersereau home and assisted him in getting access to the house where Lawrence committed the murders without it being proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Greenwood knew that Lawrence had planned and deliberated on the murders," Justice David Farrar wrote for the three-member appeal panel.

A decision on whether to proceed with a third trial is up to the Crown, which is still studying the Court of Appeal decision.

Greenwood remains in a federal prison serving a sentence for two murders in Quebec. Kirk Murray and Antonio Anesi were killed in 2010.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/murder-conviction-overturned-leslie-douglas-greenwood-1.6532533 has pic.

Leslie Douglas Greenwood looks great even better than Moms Boucher in his 50ish prime.

Co-accused in Kentville murder trial says he shot couple after Greenwood shot them
Ian Fairclough · Multimedia Journalist | Posted: Jan. 12, 2018, 8:48 a.m. | Updated: Jan. 12, 2018, 8:48 a.m. | 4 Min Read

A man serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in the killings of Barry Mersereau and Nancy Chistensen testified in Nova Scotia Supreme Court Thursday that he shot the couple on Sept. 9, 2000, after they had already been shot by Leslie Greenwood.

“He said ‘hurry, get in there, I shot them. . . . Make sure they’re dead,” Michael Lawrence testified at Greenwood’s first-degree murder trial in Kentville.

Lawrence said he went into the home, shooting twice at a Rottweiler dog on the front porch. He said the first missed, but the dog yelped after the second shot and ran off. ( Greg: How did Mr. Greenwood get past the Rottweiler to shoot the two murder victims?)

Inside, he found the couple not moving and there was no sound. Christensen was sitting in a chair and Mersereau was face down on the floor.

He shot Mersereau twice in the head with the .32-calibre revolver he was carrying and Christensen once in the head before using the last bullet on Mersereau.

The men then drove off in a truck to the Kennetcook River Bridge, where Lawrence said he dropped the guns over the railing. They then drove to a clearing and burned the truck and the clothes they had been wearing. (Greg: Did anyone search the water for the firearms used in the double killing? Might be Greenwood's DNA on them. If no firearms were found there it shows Mr. Lawrence to be a liar perhaps of an important part of his story.)

Lawrence, who was from Hants County, said he got involved with the murder because he owed a significant drug debt to Curtis Lynds. He said Lynds would front him drugs, which we would sell and then pay for, while any profit was used for drugs for himself.

He spent four months in jail from February to June 2000 after being
arrested for drug trafficking. After he was released from prison, he said, he returned to his apartment and found that $28,500 worth of Lynds’ drugs was missing.

On Sept. 6, 2000, he went to Lynds with a plan to rob an armoured car while it was collecting its deposit at a grocery store in the Bayers Lake Business Park in Halifax, and asked for a gun and a vehicle. Lynds gave him a .357 magnum revolver and told him to carjack a vehicle and kill the driver. He did so on Sept. 8 and went to the business park to meet Lynds. They scouted out a place to leave the truck and money after the robbery, but doing that meant they missed the cash pickup by the armoured car.

Lynds dropped Lawrence at a hotel near Truro and said someone would pick him up the next morning to try the robbery again, but they didn’t show up until the armoured car would have been gone. Lynds was one of the people who returned to the hotel.

“Curtis Lynds told me I was going to do a hit for him” to settle the debt, Lawrence said. “He told me it would pay the bill.”

He said Lynds told him he wanted him to shoot Mersereau, whom he had never met. He was shown where Mersereau lived on Cogmagun Road in Hants County before heading back to Lynds’ home.

“The killing had to happen (that day),” Lawrence said. “That’s what I was told.”

He said he was concerned about knowing what Mersereau looked like because he had never met him, and told Lynds so. Lynds left Lawrence at his home, and returned a while later with Greenwood following.

Lawrence said he had never met Greenwood before and Lynds told him that
Greenwood was going along because he knew what Mersereau looked like and he would let Greenwood into the home without problems. He said the plan had also changed and that Christensen was to be killed too because she would be a witness. (Greg: Okay why didn't the Rotty freak out after its owners were shot and their baby crying? It was not leashed.)

Lawrence said the decision was made that he would hide in the truck until he heard shots, then go into the house and shoot the couple too.

Greenwood was given the .357 handgun used in the carjacking, while Lawrence was given the .32-calibre revolver. Both had six bullets. “It was said, ‘empty them into them,’” he testified.

He said that on the way to the killing, “I asked what (Greenwood) was getting out of it. He said he was getting his life back.”

Lawrence was the last of five people arrested in connection with the murder. That happened in December 2010 at the jail in Springhill where he was serving time for robbery. He said he was expecting it because he saw the news of the other arrests in the case, starting in June.

He said he eventually confessed to killing the couple and Charles Maddison, the owner of the truck. “I wanted to. My conscience was bothering me so much.”

Under cross-examination he said he didn’t initially decide confessing was the right thing to do and maintained his silence. He said he was initially shocked and confused. He said he wasn’t forced to commit the murders, but felt pressured because of the drug debt.

The trial continues on Friday.

https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/federal-election/co-accused-in-kentville-murder-trial-says-he-shot-couple-after-greenwood-shot-them-176666/

It gets even wilder and more hardcore:

Nova Scotia
Charges in former Hells Angel killing

CBC News · Posted: Dec 10, 2010 11:54 AM AT | Last Updated: December 10, 2010
A Nova Scotia man faces several charges, including two counts of first-degree murder in connection with a biker gang war that rocked the province more than a decade ago.

Les Greenwood, 41, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact in the homicide of former Hells Angel Randy Mersereau, who disappeared 11 years ago.

Greenwood was arrested without incident at a residence in Bramber in Hants County early Thursday.

In addition to the accessory charge, Greenwood has also been charged with the attempted murder of Mersereau. That charge stems from an incident in 1999, in which Mersereau was the target of a bombing at his car dealership in Bible Hill.

Mersereau disappeared about a month after that bombing and has not been seen since Oct. 31, 1999.

Greenwood's charges don't stop there — he has also been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Barry Kirk Mersereau and Nancy Paula Christensen.

The two were found dead in their home in Centre Burlington, also in Hants County in September 2000 by a neighbour who went to check on the family. At the time, investigators said they believed Barry Kirk Mersereau and Christensen were victims of a planned and possibly professional killing. (Greg: Definitely not a nosy neighbour but didn't anyone notice a not very good guard dog Rot running around yelping, howling with a gun shot wound from the scene of the double hit.?)

Barry and Randy Mersereau were brothers.

Greenwood remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in a Truro court on Jan. 11, 2011.

Human remains found
Friday's developments are the latest in an ongoing investigation into a drug turf war more than a decade ago.

In October, there was renewed public interest in the case after RCMP searched a house and property in Onslow Mountain in connection with the Mersereau case. The Mounties have not said what, if any, evidence was discovered there.

Last week, RCMP uncovered human remains on a property on Hiram Lynds Road in Truro. The remains have not been identified. The Mounties said that search was initiated as a result of information given to investigators when they searched the Onslow Mountain property.

On Dec. 1, Gerald Leslie MacCabe, 43, of Salmon River in Colchester County was charged with being an accessory after the fact in the murder of Randy Mersereau.

Court documents filed during the arraignment suggested police believe Jeffrey Albert Lynds, a well-known member of the Hells Angels, killed Mersereau. The documents allege MacCabe helped Lynds escape.

Mersereau and Lynds were close associates in the 1990s. Lynds became a member of the Hells Angels shortly after Mersereau disappeared, leading police to speculate he was involved.

The Lynds family owns much of the property on Hiram Lynds Road where the human remains were found.

Lynds is already facing first-degree murder charges in connection with a double homicide in Montreal. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges and will be back in a Montreal courtroom on Jan. 11, 2011.

Corrections
An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the Nova Scotia accused facing murder charges as Lee Greenwood. The man's name Les Greenwood.
Dec 10, 2010 5:36 PM
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/charges-in-former-hells-angel-killing-1.912327

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/two-witnesses-the-leslie-greenwood-jury-did-not-hear-from Lynds had his patch apparently taken away and was suspended from H.A. after running up a $40k cocaine debt he committed suicide in prison.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/prosecutor-questions-greenwoods-version-of-what-happened-after-n-d-g-double-murder Les Greenwood says in court his best friend was Mr. Lynds he also admits to initiating a phone conversation with a Nova Scotia RCMP auto theft Officer Mr. Morgan to discuss a double murder in Montreal and the disappearance of a Troy Cook from Truro, N.S. who at that point was missing over 12 years.

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-s-man-s-murder-trial-hears-from-gunman-in-january-2010-slayings-1.2597760 In his Hell's Angels heyday Mr. Lynds was a full patch Ontario Nomads living in Nova Scotia but on the outs with the club he promised to patch a criminal Mr. Murray but instead had him whacked.

https://hells122.rssing.com/chan-24788245/all_p5.html another take on it.

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/informant-in-montreal-double-murder-trial-says-he-lives-in-constant-fear-of-being-poisoned The informer spills all the beans on himself and all his accomplices and admits killing 5 ppl in lockup.

Atlantic Canada > Communities
COLD CASES: Twenty-three years after his teen son Troy Cook disappeared in Truro, his dad is still searching for answers
Chelsey Gould | Posted: Oct. 8, 2021, 3:10 p.m. | Updated: Oct. 11, 2021, 8:41 a.m. | 8 Min Read
20
Tom Cook's son, Troy Cook, went missing over 23 years ago. He is still looking for answers about what happened.
Tom Cook's son, Troy Cook, went missing over 23 years ago. He is still looking for answers about what happened. - Chelsey Gould
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS





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Tom Cook recently got his first tattoo at 66 years old. It is a dedication to his children and future grandchild – including his son Troy, who vanished without a trace over 23 years ago.

The tattoo depicts a dreamcatcher around the tree of life - a nod to his sons’ Indigenous heritage. A falling leaf has Troy’s name, representing him being lost. Another leaf has younger son Michael Cook’s name, and the name of Mike’s child will go on the third leaf. Cook hopes the image will spark conversations on his missing son, a topic he has kept at the forefront over the past two decades.

“That just shows he's so devoted, you know?” said Dakota Betts, who is like a nephew to Tom.

Betts has many tattoos and was shocked that Tom wanted one. “That, to me, says he wants people to ask him. It's a conversation about Troy … In any which way he can get any answer, he tries.”

Related:

COLD CASE: Acadia University student from Cape Breton suddenly disappeared
COLD CASE: Awareness walk being held for missing Nova Scotia man

Disappeared
As a young adult, Troy decided to move into his own apartment on Willow Street in Truro.

Troy Cook was 19 when he disappeared. He was 120 lbs, five feet six inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. - Contributed
Troy Cook was 19 when he disappeared. He was 120 lbs, five feet six inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. - Contributed



“I said ‘No problem, I’ll help you set up an apartment,’” said Cook. “He was 19 and he just want(ed) to spread his wings. You know, he had a good social life."

Troy lived there for less than a month. Being very close with Cook, he was still coming home lots to do laundry and have meals. Cook always left care packages at his place.

After Troy spent a night at home in Kemptown, Cook dropped Troy off at the apartment in Truro around 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 11, 1998. He never saw the driveway or if Troy went through the door and continued to an appointment at the garage.

Related:

Truro Police continue search for missing Troy Cook, 17 years after disappearing
At about 10:30 a.m., someone made a call to Atlantic Superstore claiming to be Troy, saying he would not be able to work his shift there that evening. The employee who answered thought it was Troy but could not say it was with absolute certainty, noting he sounded sick and strange.

The call was made from a phone booth by the Tim Hortons on Pictou Road and Wright Avenue in Bible Hill. No security cameras captured footage.


Troy planned to met Cook on Friday at a restaurant. When he didn't show up, the family called Atlantic Superstore and learned he hadn't checked in there.

When they could not find him at the apartment, either, they contacted the RCMP and were redirected to the Truro Police Service.

Cook and Betts say it would have been odd for Troy to call in sick shortly after Cook dropped him off, and Troy seemed well during his visit with family. He never mentioned plans to go anywhere.

Tom Cook and Dakota Betts are not related by blood but have developed a familial bond. Betts is a father now and knows, that like Tom, he would not stop looking for his children. - Chelsey Gould
Tom Cook and Dakota Betts are not related by blood but have developed a familial bond. Betts is a father now and knows, that like Tom, he would not stop looking for his children. - Chelsey Gould


The only thing missing from his apartment was his driver's license.

“He lived at home for 19 years, never, never in trouble, never gave me an ounce of trouble,” said Cook.

“He was only in an apartment for a month, he was still coming home.”

'Just a typical teenager'
Troy was a social butterfly who “just drew people in,” bringing girlfriends home and striking up conversations and frequenting Chevy’s, a local bar.

He did not have access to a car since his was broken at home.

“Why would he go back the way we came … we timed it to walk, he couldn't walk it within that time, so he had to get a drive from somebody,” said Cook. “So, there were plans made with somebody to do something. Either he knew the person or just got acquainted.”

Cook does not believe Troy was involved in crime and thinks he could have just gotten in with the wrong person.

“If he had any kind of debt he'd come to me first … he wasn't into drugs,” said Cook. “He smoked a little weed and stuff like that. But nothing heavier. He was just a typical teenager."

Despite the passage of time and lack of clues, Cook is insistent upon one point.

“Somebody knows something in this town,” he says.

Tom Cook recently got his first tattoo at the age of 66. A falling leaf has his son Troy's name, representing him being lost. - Contributed
Tom Cook recently got his first tattoo at the age of 66. A falling leaf has his son Troy's name, representing him being lost. - Contributed


Support system
Cook is still recovering from brain tumours following surgery in 2016, when he also suffered a stroke on the operating table, as well as undergoing radiation for remaining cancer.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember things and he suffers from constant headaches. He now lives in Truro after the smoke from an electrical fire ruined the belongings in his Kemptown home.

Cook was too sick to be active for the anniversary of Troy’s disappearance and his birthday on June 16, but still wants to make sure Troy is not forgotten.

Betts met Cook when he was 12 through a mutual friend. Though they have no blood connection, the 27-year-old and 66-year-old Cook have developed a familial bond. It started with odd jobs like mowing the lawn, then Cook took Betts go-karting and taught him how to drive and the value of money.

“The things my parents couldn’t do for me,” said Betts.

Betts is expecting his second child, and the middle name of Betts’ new baby is going to be named after Tom. As a father, he knows he also would not stop searching for his child as Cook continues to do.

“I couldn't imagine being a father not doing exactly what he's doing,” he said.

Still seeking answers
Tom is dedicated to finding out what happened to his boy. When he had a car, he always kept posters inside of it and has always been open to a conversation - doing anything to raise awareness about Troy.

He makes sure to reach out to others whose loved ones have also gone missing. And in today’s age, social media makes a difference, said Betts.

“I'm retired now. I'm 66. I want to find him before I'm in the ground … been over 23 years now. No wonder my head’s aching.” - Tom Cook

“The best way to get out (is) if I talk somebody I don't know, and they'll start talking to people,” said Cook.

Cook thinks his son would have grown up to be an announcer or a musician, maybe even a politician today – a public face. He had a good voice and played electric guitar.

And his searching will continue in the hopes of finding some clue as to his eldest son's disappearance. All he wants is closure. Each time he hears about unidentified remains being discovered, Cook said, it drives him insane.

“I'm retired now. I'm 66. I want to find him before I'm in the ground … been over 23 years now. No wonder my head’s aching.”

There is a $150,000 reward under the Nova Scotia Justice Department’s major unsolved crimes program for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of those responsible for his disappearance.

Troy Cook when he disappeared:
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: Five-foot-six
Weight: 120 pounds
Clothing Worn: T-shirt covered with blue shirt, light coloured pants, brown deck shoes

https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/communities/cold-cases-twenty-three-years-after-his-teen-son-troy-cook-disappeared-in-truro-his-dad-is-still-searching-for-answers-100643827/

https://www.bluenoser.net/post/the-disappearance-of-troy-cook-truro Lots more info on the Troy Cook disappearance.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/5077339341/ Troy Cook's cousin FB feed to find Troy Cook.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/j6zhyt/19yearold_troy_cook_was_dropped_off_at_his_truro/