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Another Case Where A Hell's Angel Killed A Child. This has happened in Quebec, California and Oregon.
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gregca...@gmail.com
Jun 18, 2019, 8:57:01 PM6/18/19
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http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/Stories/0,1413,91~3089~2038446,00.html
Lester cited for contempt in Diaz trial
By PEIJEAN TSAI/The Daily Journal
A Ukiah court ruled a witness in contempt for refusing to testify
Tuesday, giving more prison time to the convict, who already is
serving four life sentences.
Gerald "Butch" Lester, the only person convicted for the 1986 murder
of a Fort Bragg family, returned to court Tuesday, after refusing to
testify Monday in the trial of Charles Anthony Diaz, the former Hells
Angels leader charged with the murder of one of the family members.
Dressed in a red Mendocino County jail uniform, Gerald Lester appeared
before the jury and reiterated what he said Monday: he would not
testify because it could jeopardize his pending appeal.
Gerald Lester was convicted November 1997, after three trials, of the
Oct. 1986 shooting of the Grondalski family parents Bill, 32, and
Patty, 34, Dallas, 5, and Jeremy Vandegriff, 17, a son from a previous
marriage. Diaz allegedly slit the 5-year-old's throat before Gerald
Lester shot her. The murder took place after the family moved from
Vallejo, where Bill had been a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle
club. Three co-defendants Mary Anne Hodgson, Robert Huffman and Sammie
Lester, are being charged with covering up the murder.
When Deputy Attorney General Michael O'Reilley began to ask Gerald
Lester questions about the Grondalski murders Tuesday, the witness
gave the prosecutor the silent treatment.
O'Reilley asked five questions, including whether he knew Diaz,
whether he saw Diaz take a knife to Dallas and whether he and Diaz had
cut off a Hells Angels tattoo from former member Bill Grondalski.
The non-responsive witness was ruled in contempt and ordered to five
days of jail concurrent with his current prison terms.
A key witness took the stand for the rest of the day Tuesday: former
Sonoma County Hells Angel member Charlie Haas, who testified he went
to Fort Bragg with Gerald Lester after the murders and helped burn
down the Grondalski home.
Haas, who appeared Tuesday in civilian clothes, is currently serving a
sentence of up to 30 years prison time for a federal conviction for
manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. He has a history of
violent crime including several assaults of police officers and a
murder conviction of a disco manager and the stabbing of another in
Germany, a crime for which he served five years of prison time.
Haas' testimony began with the recitation of phone numbers he used in
1986, which he recited without pause. Haas then responded to Deputy
Attorney General Michael O'Reilley, telling the court that at a Hells
Angels motorcycle run the weekend of the murders, Gerald Lester told
him he and Diaz planned to go to the Grondalski house in Fort Bragg.
"He said, We found Billy,'" Haas testified. "He said, We're going up
to see him.'"
O'Reilley then asked whether Gerald Lester told him how he knew where
Grondalski, a former Vallejo chapter member, had relocated. Lester,
Haas said, found out from a former Hells Angels prospective member.
Haas continued that he didn't hear from Gerald Lester again until
Lester called him late the next night around 2 a.m.
"He said, I got a problem; I need to see you,'" Haas said.
Hours later, Haas met with Gerald Lester, during which Lester told him
there had been a fight with Bill resulting in the shooting of him, and
that Gerald Lester shot Patty and Jeremy shortly after.
Haas then said Gerald Lester put Diaz at the scene of the crime:
"(Butch said) Chuck was over there cutting the throat of the other
kid."
O'Reilley finished his questions with whether Haas still was connected
to the Hells Angels, which he denied. Haas added he would not be
testifying if he were still a member.
During defense cross examination, Ukiah attorney Bob Boyd, who is
representing Huffman, questioned the witness about inconsistencies of
his Tuesday testimony with previous statements Haas gave Mendocino
County Sheriff's Department investigator Lt. Phil Pintane.
In one part of an earlier statement Boyd read the witness, Haas said
the aforementioned phone call was received in the afternoon. Haas
denied having made the statement.
"So (Pintane's) report's in error?" Boyd said.
"Evidently," Haas said.
Boyd also asked several questions about Haas' tendency toward
violence. One question asked about an incident where Haas had beat up
a guy and not shot him though he was armed.
"I have a rule that if I pull my gun out I usually shoot it," Haas
said.
Lakeport attorney Ed Alvord, who is representing Diaz, asked Haas
questions about whether his motivation for testifying was a reduced
prison sentence. Haas has already spent 10 years in prison for a
sentence of up to 30 years for drug charges.
"This is your ticket out, isn't it?" Alvord said.
"I guess you could call it that," Haas said.
Haas returns today to court for continued testimony.
Original Usenet Post:
From: joe1...@aol.com (Joe1orbit)
Subject: Hell's Angel who killed fellow biker & 3 other family
members,including 5 y.o.girl,gets Life sentence,in CA
Date: 1998/01/24
Message-ID: <19980124220...@ladder02.news.aol.com>#1/1
X-Admin: ne...@aol.com
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Newsgroups: alt.true-crime
Hello,
You know how much I enjoy giving proper credit to killers who
somehow never
quite achieve the fame and notoriety they deserve. That is why,
despite the
fact that I am still very busy with my important project, I feel
obligated to
make the following post, and give quadruple murderer Gerald Lester a
few lines
of Usenet immortality.
You see, Gerald is a former Hell's Angel motocyclist, and back in
1986, 11
long years ago, Gerald did indeed slaughter FOUR humans, all members
of the
same family. He killed a biker acquaintance named Billy Grondalski,
Billy's
wife, her 17 year old son, and their 5 year old daughter.
Yesterday, Gerald was sentenced to Life in prison for the four
murders, with
no chance of ever winning parole. Bummer. The least I can to is
immortalize
Gerald in the Usenet historical archives, by virtue of this post. And
so I am
taking time out from my very busy schedule to do just that.
Take care, JOE
The following appears courtesy of yesterday's Associated Press news
wire:
Hells Angel gets life in killing of family
January 23, 1998
UKIAH, Calif. (AP) — Applause broke out Friday when a former Hells
Angel was
sentenced to life in prison for killing four family members 11 years
ago.
Gerald Lester was sentenced to 15 years to life for killing fellow
biker Billy
Grondalski and life without parole for the three other slayings.
In his third trial, Lester was convicted in November of the 1986
shooting
deaths of Grondalski; his wife, Patty; their daughter, Dallas, 5; and
Patricia's son, Nolan Jerami Vandagriff, 17. His first two trials
ended in hung
juries.
Lester killed the four because Grondalski, also a former Hells Angel,
ran out
on a drug debt and stole $900 worth of motorcycle club decals,
authorities
said.
================================================================================
. Anyone who kills in cold blood deserves the death penalty for killing esp. the killing of a 5 year old. The HAMC is a criminal org and various judges have stated that. They should be outlawed which Andrew Sheer might do in Canada if he takes power.
Hell's Angels have repeatedly been convicted in a continuing pattern of anti-social criminal behavior although some ppl still claim they just do Toys For Tots runs or "they won't bother you if you don't bother them". HAMC members have been convicted of killing children in Quebec, Oregon and California. The Big Red Machine is involved with contract murder, various cases of manslaughter, rape, gang rape, prostitution, extortion, child porn, counterfeiting, break and enter, fraud, the manufacture and distribution of various kinds of illegal drugs, organized automobiles and motorcycles and numerous death threats and corrupting police and intimidating Judges and politicians.
Tom Strenja a HA git, his Dad a HAMC associate convicted of counterfeiting and impaired driving is currently serving 4 years and 4 months for shooting a woman twice in Stave Falls, B.C. Even then he needed a crime partner. Strenja on a number of occasions threatened to kill me and eventually threatened to kill my family at which point I contacted the Vancouver Police Dept. and the Surrey, B.C. who did nothing. They didn't even give me a file number. Also around 2001 a full patch HAMCer who used to hang out at the now defunct College Place Hotel threatened to kill me for some reason. When I lived in the DTES a guy wearing an HA support shirt tried to extort $20 from me near the Drake Hotel which HAMC used to own at the time. Oh did I mention that Tom Strenja took out a restraining order on me? Like how can I kill him if he is in federal custody somewhere?
I have never heard of a case where someone ripped off HAMC and they found out about it and did nothing. I was on a bus trip years ago and some total nobody looking guy was talking how he stole 3,000 dollars from HA and they did nothing. There was a pause and then he said, "but they took my wife".
Lester cited for contempt in Diaz trial
By PEIJEAN TSAI/The Daily Journal
A Ukiah court ruled a witness in contempt for refusing to testify
Tuesday, giving more prison time to the convict, who already is
serving four life sentences.
Gerald "Butch" Lester, the only person convicted for the 1986 murder
of a Fort Bragg family, returned to court Tuesday, after refusing to
testify Monday in the trial of Charles Anthony Diaz, the former Hells
Angels leader charged with the murder of one of the family members.
Dressed in a red Mendocino County jail uniform, Gerald Lester appeared
before the jury and reiterated what he said Monday: he would not
testify because it could jeopardize his pending appeal.
Gerald Lester was convicted November 1997, after three trials, of the
Oct. 1986 shooting of the Grondalski family parents Bill, 32, and
Patty, 34, Dallas, 5, and Jeremy Vandegriff, 17, a son from a previous
marriage. Diaz allegedly slit the 5-year-old's throat before Gerald
Lester shot her. The murder took place after the family moved from
Vallejo, where Bill had been a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle
club. Three co-defendants Mary Anne Hodgson, Robert Huffman and Sammie
Lester, are being charged with covering up the murder.
When Deputy Attorney General Michael O'Reilley began to ask Gerald
Lester questions about the Grondalski murders Tuesday, the witness
gave the prosecutor the silent treatment.
O'Reilley asked five questions, including whether he knew Diaz,
whether he saw Diaz take a knife to Dallas and whether he and Diaz had
cut off a Hells Angels tattoo from former member Bill Grondalski.
The non-responsive witness was ruled in contempt and ordered to five
days of jail concurrent with his current prison terms.
A key witness took the stand for the rest of the day Tuesday: former
Sonoma County Hells Angel member Charlie Haas, who testified he went
to Fort Bragg with Gerald Lester after the murders and helped burn
down the Grondalski home.
Haas, who appeared Tuesday in civilian clothes, is currently serving a
sentence of up to 30 years prison time for a federal conviction for
manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. He has a history of
violent crime including several assaults of police officers and a
murder conviction of a disco manager and the stabbing of another in
Germany, a crime for which he served five years of prison time.
Haas' testimony began with the recitation of phone numbers he used in
1986, which he recited without pause. Haas then responded to Deputy
Attorney General Michael O'Reilley, telling the court that at a Hells
Angels motorcycle run the weekend of the murders, Gerald Lester told
him he and Diaz planned to go to the Grondalski house in Fort Bragg.
"He said, We found Billy,'" Haas testified. "He said, We're going up
to see him.'"
O'Reilley then asked whether Gerald Lester told him how he knew where
Grondalski, a former Vallejo chapter member, had relocated. Lester,
Haas said, found out from a former Hells Angels prospective member.
Haas continued that he didn't hear from Gerald Lester again until
Lester called him late the next night around 2 a.m.
"He said, I got a problem; I need to see you,'" Haas said.
Hours later, Haas met with Gerald Lester, during which Lester told him
there had been a fight with Bill resulting in the shooting of him, and
that Gerald Lester shot Patty and Jeremy shortly after.
Haas then said Gerald Lester put Diaz at the scene of the crime:
"(Butch said) Chuck was over there cutting the throat of the other
kid."
O'Reilley finished his questions with whether Haas still was connected
to the Hells Angels, which he denied. Haas added he would not be
testifying if he were still a member.
During defense cross examination, Ukiah attorney Bob Boyd, who is
representing Huffman, questioned the witness about inconsistencies of
his Tuesday testimony with previous statements Haas gave Mendocino
County Sheriff's Department investigator Lt. Phil Pintane.
In one part of an earlier statement Boyd read the witness, Haas said
the aforementioned phone call was received in the afternoon. Haas
denied having made the statement.
"So (Pintane's) report's in error?" Boyd said.
"Evidently," Haas said.
Boyd also asked several questions about Haas' tendency toward
violence. One question asked about an incident where Haas had beat up
a guy and not shot him though he was armed.
"I have a rule that if I pull my gun out I usually shoot it," Haas
said.
Lakeport attorney Ed Alvord, who is representing Diaz, asked Haas
questions about whether his motivation for testifying was a reduced
prison sentence. Haas has already spent 10 years in prison for a
sentence of up to 30 years for drug charges.
"This is your ticket out, isn't it?" Alvord said.
"I guess you could call it that," Haas said.
Haas returns today to court for continued testimony.
Original Usenet Post:
From: joe1...@aol.com (Joe1orbit)
Subject: Hell's Angel who killed fellow biker & 3 other family
members,including 5 y.o.girl,gets Life sentence,in CA
Date: 1998/01/24
Message-ID: <19980124220...@ladder02.news.aol.com>#1/1
X-Admin: ne...@aol.com
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Newsgroups: alt.true-crime
Hello,
You know how much I enjoy giving proper credit to killers who
somehow never
quite achieve the fame and notoriety they deserve. That is why,
despite the
fact that I am still very busy with my important project, I feel
obligated to
make the following post, and give quadruple murderer Gerald Lester a
few lines
of Usenet immortality.
You see, Gerald is a former Hell's Angel motocyclist, and back in
1986, 11
long years ago, Gerald did indeed slaughter FOUR humans, all members
of the
same family. He killed a biker acquaintance named Billy Grondalski,
Billy's
wife, her 17 year old son, and their 5 year old daughter.
Yesterday, Gerald was sentenced to Life in prison for the four
murders, with
no chance of ever winning parole. Bummer. The least I can to is
immortalize
Gerald in the Usenet historical archives, by virtue of this post. And
so I am
taking time out from my very busy schedule to do just that.
Take care, JOE
The following appears courtesy of yesterday's Associated Press news
wire:
Hells Angel gets life in killing of family
January 23, 1998
UKIAH, Calif. (AP) — Applause broke out Friday when a former Hells
Angel was
sentenced to life in prison for killing four family members 11 years
ago.
Gerald Lester was sentenced to 15 years to life for killing fellow
biker Billy
Grondalski and life without parole for the three other slayings.
In his third trial, Lester was convicted in November of the 1986
shooting
deaths of Grondalski; his wife, Patty; their daughter, Dallas, 5; and
Patricia's son, Nolan Jerami Vandagriff, 17. His first two trials
ended in hung
juries.
Lester killed the four because Grondalski, also a former Hells Angel,
ran out
on a drug debt and stole $900 worth of motorcycle club decals,
authorities
said.
================================================================================
. Anyone who kills in cold blood deserves the death penalty for killing esp. the killing of a 5 year old. The HAMC is a criminal org and various judges have stated that. They should be outlawed which Andrew Sheer might do in Canada if he takes power.
Hell's Angels have repeatedly been convicted in a continuing pattern of anti-social criminal behavior although some ppl still claim they just do Toys For Tots runs or "they won't bother you if you don't bother them". HAMC members have been convicted of killing children in Quebec, Oregon and California. The Big Red Machine is involved with contract murder, various cases of manslaughter, rape, gang rape, prostitution, extortion, child porn, counterfeiting, break and enter, fraud, the manufacture and distribution of various kinds of illegal drugs, organized automobiles and motorcycles and numerous death threats and corrupting police and intimidating Judges and politicians.
Tom Strenja a HA git, his Dad a HAMC associate convicted of counterfeiting and impaired driving is currently serving 4 years and 4 months for shooting a woman twice in Stave Falls, B.C. Even then he needed a crime partner. Strenja on a number of occasions threatened to kill me and eventually threatened to kill my family at which point I contacted the Vancouver Police Dept. and the Surrey, B.C. who did nothing. They didn't even give me a file number. Also around 2001 a full patch HAMCer who used to hang out at the now defunct College Place Hotel threatened to kill me for some reason. When I lived in the DTES a guy wearing an HA support shirt tried to extort $20 from me near the Drake Hotel which HAMC used to own at the time. Oh did I mention that Tom Strenja took out a restraining order on me? Like how can I kill him if he is in federal custody somewhere?
I have never heard of a case where someone ripped off HAMC and they found out about it and did nothing. I was on a bus trip years ago and some total nobody looking guy was talking how he stole 3,000 dollars from HA and they did nothing. There was a pause and then he said, "but they took my wife".
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