Conspiracy of Brothers: A True Story of Bikers, Murder and the Law

by Mick Lowe

On the night of October 18, 1978, small-town biker Bill Matiyek was having a drink in a Port Hope bar. A gunman suddenly walked up and fired 3 bullets into his head. Members of the rival bike club Satan's Choice, who were in the bar, quickly vanished. Was it a cold-blooded gangland-style execution, as the Crown Attorney and police would argue, or the compulsive act of a single gunman? Was the trial that followed driven by persistent police work--or a police frame-up? Did the bikers conspire to murder--or did the law conspire to convict them? Guilt by association, unreliable eyewitness testimony, suppression of evidence, botched police procedures--call the results justice or call them revenge, the question remains: Who really killed Bill Matiyek, and why?

Genres: True Crime

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Mick Lowe is an award-winning journalist, author and writer, whose work has appeared in a diverse range of Canadian publications, including the The Globe and Mail, the Financial Post Magazine, and Northern Ontario Business.

On May 1st, 2008, Mick suffered a massive stroke that left him disabled – paralyzed on his left side, and confined to a wheelchair. Despite intensive rehabilitation therapy, the paralysis remains, forcing Mick into early unexpected retirement ending a 40 year career in professional writing.

Reviews

[Scott Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is a bit-dated, it nevertheless gives a fascinating insight into the world of motorcycle gangs and the criminal justice system in the 1970s. Rick Sauve, one of two people convicted of first degree mruder, although he never actually killed the victim, has subsequently continued to advance his life, his studies and is probably best known for his Supreme Court Challenge that effectively granted inmates the right to vote.

[Jeff Hueston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’ve read this book four times, maybe five. It’s a fascinating true story, set in Ontario, and the author does a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters, setting the scene, and describing the story as it unfolds. Makes you want to, when you’re finished the book, research the characters to see what happened to them next. Great stuff.

[Karen Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true crime story about outlaw bikers, murder and the law by investigative reporter Mick Lowe is so well-written that it's really literature. When I wanted to know more about biking culture in small-town Ontario, I turned to this book for background information. Lowe's story focuses mainly on Satan Choice members Gary Comeau and Rick Sauve who both served massive time (many people believe unjustly) for the murder of biker Bill Matiyek in a crowded Port Hope bar. But several other bikers were also implicated in the shooting and served lesser amounts of time. Just recently I discovered that one of these men was in fact my second cousin. I read it 20 years ago, but I went back to it several times when I wanted to know more about outlaw bikers in for my own novel,"From the Chrysalis." The trial coverage was a bit too detailed for me, but it's a necessary and vital part of the book.

[Jp Gaboury · Rating 5 out of 5]

a really good book .

[Ashley Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story!
Bless you, Mick.