Police aren't saying exactly how or when Reno Lee was murdered but they are saying they found Lee's body north of Balcarres, Saskatchewan which is north west of Regina and the investigation began on April 23. On May 15th CJME reported that the Regina Police Service announced John Earl Desjarlais, 30, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Reno Lee.
CJME is also reporting that Four people are charged with first-degree murder: 31-year-old Daniel Theodore, 21-year-old Andrew Michael Bellegarde, 30-year-old Bronson Gordon, and Desjarlais. Desjarlais was already facing charges of kidnapping and aggravated assault in connection to Lee's death. Joni Victoria Reed, 29, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder. CTV is reporting that 30-year-old Bronson Chad Gordon of Regina was arrested in Edmonton. CTV posted the above picture of Bronson who is one of the four men charged in Reno Lee's murder.
A little context would be helpful because there is no indication, to many of us, if these people were "known to police", had criminal records, were members of gangs, etc.
ReplyDeleteA blog reader mentioned it and implied it was rival drug dealers. The police aren't saying a word so we have to wait for the details to come out in court. It will be definitely worth watching and following up on.
DeleteRegaurdless if he was "known to police" or a gang member, or whatever else, he was human. He was a father, and a son, and a brother. He did not deserve to doe like that. It is sad no matter what. His son (whom he loved very much) will grow up without his father. He touched many lives. Including mine...i am not a gang member, or known to police. Reno Lee was my friend. I will miss him dearly. :(
ReplyDeleteThey kidnapped them and were pulling a Jack move.
ReplyDeletehttp://leaderpost.com/news/crime/preliminary-hearings-set-in-kidnapping-murder-case
ReplyDeletedetails of which cannot be reported because of a court-imposed publication ban
ReplyDeleteI personally know all of these men including the victim - poor Reno, ya he dibbs you on some cash but it was not acceptable to do that to him-a thousand bucks can be replaced. Dan one of the guys accused is someone that should be not really charged because his mental state. Bronson I'm sure was drugged and convinced to do it and Andrew was drunk at least and was promised some kind of reward. That is if they even did it in the first place. All three are still in Regina Correctional awaiting trial and nothing is published due to publication ban (court ordered). All three men are charged on hear say and it has to do with people that don't like them. So i guess evidence will tell if these 3 really are the village goats or if they are guilty. Personally I don't think they are guilty.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: According to previously reported information, it’s believed Lee died April 18, though his body was not found until April 30 near Balcarres
ReplyDeleteGordon, Theodore and Bellegarde are among a group of six facing charges in connection with Lee’s death, although the others aren’t slated to stand trial with them. John Earl Desjarlais, also charged with first-degree murder, has a preliminary hearing scheduled for the summer. Two others, Dennis Alfred Bird and Joni Victoria Reed, are accused of being an accessory after the fact and are also still before the court.
What are the accused's affiliations? If drugs are involved in Edmonton someone was working for the red and white.
DeleteWhat are the accused's affiliations? They all know each other through 'street hanging out' In Regina everyone knows everyone if you 'hang out' . It is like a small town in that sense. Even smaller now that so many are in jail in the last year.
ReplyDeleteIf drugs are involved? Drugs lol is it not always over that. Reno dibbs and someone got mad. The drug at the time rocking the streets was Meth (homemade) like grandma's cookies. I was not at the seen so what the hell do I know.
Edmonton someone was working for the red and white? If I had to guess I would say it was all over the media he was wanted and news flots on texting real quick here so he was easy to find for the coppers. Regina is full of Santa's little helpers. They all want to lessen their own charges so they tell on the neighbor. It has become worse in the last 2 years. They make a Tips Call just so they can get rid of the one taking their drug sells. Another big trend here is blame the girl friend cause she will do time for him bit. I guess instead of a Tim Bit its a Him Bit.
I just know none of them would survive in a real city. Regina is titled the crime city of Canada; It is because no one knows what they are doing and get caught a lot. It is crime that is violent and they favor house invasions. The womans jail is full of him bits doing time for home invasions. One more thing Regina is good for is liars. Do they love to lie to the cops to their mothers and to each other. Scenario example....You owe $60 for drug bill. You pay said $60. Next day dealer says you did not pay the $60 to his guys and boom you have a broken leg and still owe $60. Thats Regina for ya!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/3-man-murder-feb-27-update-1.4553616
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing so far - as anyone other than (close) will know.
Cout starts up Thursday to instruct the jury. It is in the creators hands at this point.
Updates will follow as I get them
My point of this posting is the public band witnesses are amongst these people. I am sure Reed must be the witness to testify that she requested a smudge at the dumping spot of Reno's body.
ReplyDeleteGordon is also "the man in the suit" There is rummor of a man that is a real estate by profession but very high status in drug distribution in Alberta. Rummors-lol. Gordon was in Alberta when arrested . As I pegged in the beginning their positions in the slaying the 3 now in trial had taken. I was not far off.
What makes me wonder is who did the ordering of this murder over Gordon? Everyone has a 'higher up' - right?
The articals are archives of Regina Leader Post. I'm very sure these names will never be posted again so I thought they would be essential to the article.
Fourh Murder Charge laid in Lee Reno Slaying
May 16, 2015
Police aren't offering many details surrounding the death of Reno Lee. The 34-year-old Regina man was found dead north of Balcarraes on April 30, a week after the Regina City Police launched an investigation.
Since then, three people - Bronson Chad Gordon, 30, Andrew Michael Bellegarde, 21, Daniel Theodore, 31, - have been charged with fist-degree murder in Lee's death. On Friday a forth was added to the list when John Earl Desjarlis, 30, was also charged with first-degree murder.
Desjarlis was already facing charges of kidnapping, forcible confinement and aggravated assault against Lee.
Desjarlis appeard Friday at Regina Provincial Court on the murder charge. It was adjourned until May 21, when it's expected he'll be represented by Legal Aid. Dejarlis's other charges are on the docket for the same day.
Jomi Victoria Reed, 29, is charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.
Few details have been released by police about the investigation.
More Charges in confinement case
ReplyDeleteJune 16, 2015
Two more people have been charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping, confinement and assault of a woman reported to have occurred four days after Reno Lee was killed.
REGINA —Two more people have been charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping, confinement and assault of a woman reported to have occurred four days after Reno Lee was killed.
Bronson Chad Gordon, 30, has become the second person — along with 22-year-old Andrew Michael Bellegarde — to be facing serious charges in relation to both events. Appearing at Regina Provincial Court by video link from the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre, Gordon made his first appearance on a range of new charges, including the confinement and assault causing bodily harm of a 31-year-old woman on April 22. He is also facing a breach charge and six charges relating to the possession and use of a sawed-off shotgun during the same alleged incident. The Crown opposed Gordon’s release on the new charges. Gordon told the court he intends to apply for court-appointed counsel and his charges were set over to June 22.It’s expected other charges he was already facing – most significantly a firstdegree murder charge pertaining to the Lee homicide will be before the court that day as well. Also on Monday, a 24-year-old woman made a first appearance on the April 22 incident, alleging she also confined the 31-year-old woman. Alexandria N. Mansbridge is additionally accused of being an accessory after the fact by assisting Gordon for the purpose of enabling his escape in relation to the confinement. The Crown also opposed Mansbridge’s release and her matters were set over to Friday to give her time to speak with a lawyer. The allegations are the latest in a large swath of charges that have been laid against numerous people in the course of an ongoing police investigation into Lee’s death and the woman’s alleged kidnapping, confinement, assault and robbery. Police have not commented on what, if any, parallels exist between the two reported incidents. Court previously heard there are “gang overtones” to the cases overall, resulting in the Crown having asked for non-contact orders between the various people charged and a number of other named individuals.
Six people are now facing charges in the case involving the female complainant, which police said began when she went willingly to a residence in the 2100 block of Angus Street. Police previously said that an altercation occurred there and the woman was prevented from leaving, later being taken to another residence — in the 4400 block of Pasqua Street before being returned to Angus Street. The incident was brought to police attention by neighbours who complained about the noise they were hearing from that residence. Police said the woman was assaulted during the incident, receiving injuries to her face, head and torso that required a trip to hospital. Also charged in that incident are Ramie Louis Bellegarde, 35, Barbara Illingworth, 44, and Stuart Michael George Sabiston, 27, who, combined, face charges ranging from kidnapping to weapons offences. While their charges vary, all three are accused of confining the woman. All six charged in relation to that incident remain in custody at this point, as do those accused in connection with Lee’s April 18d eath. In addition to Gordon, also accused of Lee’s firstdegree murder are Andrew Bellegarde, 31-year-old Daniel Theodore and 30-year-old John Earl Desjarlais. Desjarlais is also facing charges alleging the April 16 kidnapping, forcible confinement and aggravated assault of Lee. Two people — Dennis Alfred Bird, 28, and Joni Victoria Reed, 29 are charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder. The Regina Police Service has released few details about 34-year-old Lee’s death, which is alleged to have happened well before his body was found near Balcarres on April 30.
I read sometime back John Earl Desjarlis took a tampering with evidence charge on this too. However I have not found any more details on his conviction or court appointments. I am still searching though.
ReplyDeleteJury returns guilty verdict for three men in death of Reno Lee
ReplyDeleteMarch 2, 2018
A Regina jury has found three men guilty in the 2015 shooting death of 34-year-old Reno Lee.
Andrew Bellegarde, 24, Bronson Gordon, 33, and Daniel Theodore, 34, stood trial over a seven-week period at Regina Court of Queen’s Bench on two charges: first-degree murder and offering an indignity to human remains.
Shortly after 7 p.m. — approximately 9½ hours after deliberations began — the 11-person jury returned with its verdict, finding all three men guilty of first-degree murder. Only Theodore and Bellegarde were found guilty of the offering an indignity charge.
The Crown put forward a number of theories as to motive, including one that Gordon decided to take a fellow drug dealer out of play in order to eliminate competition, or that an in-debt Gordon was looking to get his hands on Lee’s supply of drugs — said by one witness to have been sizeable following a pickup in Alberta shortly before his death.
The Crown alleged Gordon directed the confinement, kidnapping and murder of Lee, bringing others on board to help carry it out, and that his two co-accused were involved in the plan. Witnesses said Bellegarde was one of two armed men lying in wait for Lee upon his arrival at Gordon’s, and that Bellegarde and Theodore were among those who took Lee to Garnet Street. (Gordon, court heard, was on electronic monitoring at the time and so was unable to leave his apartment.)
Witnesses described Lee being bound and gagged with tape while Bellegarde stood watch over him. Court heard contact continued between Gordon and Theodore, as well as others, throughout the night, although there is no physical record of what was contained in those messages and conversations
ReplyDeleteOne witness told the court she was upstairs in the house when she awoke to the sound of a gunshot. She said both Bellegarde and Theodore emerged in turn from the basement and that, later in the morning, she heard the sound of sawing coming from the basement where the two men had returned.
The woman said she helped Bellegarde and Theodore dispose of various pieces of evidence and bury Lee’s remains.
While neither Bellegarde nor Theodore took the stand in their own defence, Gordon did, telling the court he had no idea what was going to happen to Lee that night and describing himself as a “scapegoat.”
ReplyDeleteCrown prosecutors Bill Jennings and Adam Breker took a different position, arguing all three men were guilty of the planned and deliberate killing, and that Bellegarde and Theodore could also be found guilty by having played an active role in Lee’s death during his unlawful confinement.
Defence lawyers for the men — Mike Buchinski for Bellegarde, Marianna Jasper for Gordon and George Combe for Theodore — argued their clients had not plotted Lee’s death and that key Crown witnesses were unreliable due to the amount of drug use that night.
Daniel Theodore says 'I am truly sorry for your loss, the loss of your loved one.' He added 'that was a waking nightmare for me to experience all of that.' Also added 'At his burial, I did say a prayer for his soul.' He, too, has been sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole for 25 years, five concurrent years for indignity charge. (year 2040 apply for parole)
ReplyDeleteBronson Gordon says 'I'll continue to just keep your family in prayer and I'm sorry you guys had to go through this,' he said. 'I'm sorry.' He is sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole for 25 years ( Parole year 2040)
ReplyDeleteAndrew Bellegarde says he has nothing to say. He has been sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole for 25 years of sentence. Five concurrent years for the indignity charge.
ReplyDelete(Parole 2014)
ERROR == Andrew Bellegarde (APPLY FOR PAROLE 2040) NOT 2014
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updates. I've made a new post at:
ReplyDeletehttps://gangstersout.blogspot.ca/2018/03/reno-lees-death-was-execution.html
update at
ReplyDeletehttps://gangstersout.blogspot.ca/2018/03/reno-lees-death-was-execution.html