The head of the Devils Army biker gang in Campbell River has been arrested and charged in the targeted killing of a 30-year-old Saanich man, found dead in March 2016.
Richard (Ricky) Ernest Alexander is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of John Dillon Brown, which police described as a targeted homicide. Police said they arrested Alexander in Campbell River on Friday about 2 p.m.
Brown, 30, was found dead inside his car near the west side of the one-way bridge to Sayward, about 75 kilometres from Campbell River, on March 12, 2016.
The father of four was last seen the previous day, leaving a Campbell River residence in his car, a grey 2009 Honda Accord. He was reported missing to Campbell River RCMP the day his body was found.
Alexander was arrested after a joint investigation by B.C.’s anti-gang task force, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C., and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.
The Special Enforcement Unit said the investigation involved more than 200 police officers.
On Aug. 10, 2017, about 60 officers raided the Devils Army clubhouse on Petersen Road in Campbell River in connection with Brown’s killing.
When asked about the raid, Alexander told the Times Colonist at the time: “I don’t know what’s up myself — no comment.”
There is no information to suggest that Brown, a semi-pro mixed martial arts fighter, was a member or associate of the Devils Army or the Hells Angels, the Special Enforcement Unit said after the August 2017 search.
Asked why it took more than a year after the search to lay a charge, the unit’s spokeswoman, Sgt. Brenda Winpenny, said: “It took a tremendous amount of time, resources and various police investigative techniques to secure the necessary evidence in order to lay a first-degree murder charge.”
Alexander is one of the founding members of the Devils Army Motorcycle Club, which the Special Enforcement Unit described as an outlaw group.
The Devils Army has been active in Campbell River since 2009. It is a support club for the Haney Hells Angels chapter, with five full-patch members and two prospective members, according to the Special Enforcement Unit.
Alexander will be held in custody pending court proceedings.
“While a charge of first-degree murder is significant in any circumstance, this charge is particularly significant, as it involves a longtime high-ranking member of an outlaw motorcycle club,” said Chief Superintendent Trent Rolfe, the head of the anti-gang task force.
“The RCMP in B.C., CFSEU-BC, along with all of its law-enforcement partners across the country, are committed to ensuring that outlaw motorcycle gangs and their associates remain a priority due to the level of violence and harm they inflict on our communities,” said Assistant Commissioner Kevin Hackett, who leads RCMP “E” division’s federal and organized crime operations.
“This investigation showcases that a collaborative, co-ordinated and focused approach can gather the evidence necessary to ensure that those responsible are brought before the courts.”
The Vancouver Sun reported that Alexander, 63, has described himself on land title records as a businessman and a forestry consultant. He owns the building that houses the Devils Army clubhouse in Campbell River. Land title records also show that he owns a 13-acre property in Mission and condos in Burnaby and Pitt Meadows.
