Murder charges denied by Hall, accomplices

 

Under heavy guard at Central Berkshire District Court on Monday, a Hells Angels member and two alleged accomplices were arraigned on murder charges in the deaths of three men whose bodies were recovered over the weekend. Adam Lee Hall, 34, of Peru, the purported sergeant at arms for the Berkshire County chapter of the Hells Angels, appeared before Judge Rita S. Koenigs and pleaded not guilty to three counts each of murder, kidnapping and witness intimidation. Two other men, 44-year-old David Chalue, with addresses in North Adams and Springfield, and Caius Veiovis, 31, of Pittsfield, were arraigned on the same charges and pleaded not guilty. All three are being held without bail at the Berkshire County Jail & House of Correction. They are due back in court Oct. 12 for a hearing. Authorities say the three men killed and then buried the bodies of David Glasser, 44, Edward S. Frampton, 58, and Robert T. Chadwell, 47, after they disappeared sometime between Aug. 27 and 28 from 254 Linden St., where Glasser and Frampton lived. Police apparently found the bodies, which had been buried in a trench, on Saturday. Authorities would not say where the burial site was located, only that it was "on private property" in Berkshire County. Police believe the men died violent deaths and were buried the day after they were abducted. Autopsies are pending. District Attorney David F. Capeless alleges the murders Advertisement were carried out to prevent Glasser, the government's key witness, from testifying in Hall's criminal trial this month for kidnapping, extortion, assault and battery, witness intimidation and other charges. Frampton and Chadwell were killed because they happened to be with Glasser, according to Capeless. The interactions between Hall and Glasser go back to 2009 when Hall allegedly beat him with a baseball bat. Last year, Hall tried to frame Glasser to discredit him as a witness in that case, police said. The murders were allegedly committed while Hall was out on bail. Police said Hall has been "desperate" to avoid prison and met with the FBI twice last September in an attempt to become an informant against other Hells Angels. The FBI turned him down because he was "uncontrollable and much too dangerous." Hall's attorney, William A. Rota, said his client has proclaimed his innocence and is taking the murder charges "in stride." Chalue is being represented by attorney Leonard H. Cohen who said his client "has proclaimed his innocence loud and clear." Veiovis, also known as Roy Gutfinski, who has facial tattoos including the numbers "666" on his brow and horn implants in his forehead, smirked at onlookers in the crowded courtroom as he was being led out by court security. He is being represented by attorney James Reardon Jr. of Worcester. Reardon told The Eagle that his client has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is waiting to see the evidence of the alleged crimes against him. "So far, there hasn't been any," said the attorney. While police are holding back many of the details surrounding the murder, a probable cause report in the case indicates that just weeks before the victims were killed, Hall had asked several people about where to find excavation equipment, the same type of equipment found at the burial site. Police allege that on the night of the abduction Hall arranged to leave his car near the site where the bodies were later recovered. After dropping off that car, he was seen leaving in Veiovis' vehicle, according to the report. The next day, Chalue and Hall took Hall's car to a local junk dealer where it was crushed, authorities said. Police allegedly found blood in cars driven by both Chalue and Veiovis. After the men's murders, Hall allegedly tried to get rid of evidence. Several witnesses saw Hall dumping clothing and other items over the side of the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Lenox minutes after police went to Glasser and Frampton's residence, according to the report. For Monday's arraignments, about 20 plainclothes and uniformed law enforcement officers patrolled the courthouse grounds and aided court security inside. Hall, wearing white, jail-issued clothing -- indicating he was being held in a segregated unit at the Berkshire County Jail & House of Correction -- was brought in a van from the jail. Chalue and Veiovis were brought in from the Pittsfield Police lockup. Hall has been behind bars since last week when he was picked up on extortion and child porn charges.

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