Four men accused of being involved in a deadly confrontation involving two rival biker gangs were back in court on Thursday.
Jason Keenan, 45, of Bath; James Moody, 30, of Bowdoin; Caleb Pelkey, 33, of Portland; and Nathan Walsh, 48, of Lewiston pleaded not guilty to elevated aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit elevated aggravated assault charges, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Kaleb Cidre, 22, of Windham also pleaded not guilty to those charges last week, the Press Herald reported.
Over the summer, what started a disagreement between two rival biker gangs turned deadly. That stemmed from a fight at a Westbrook bar earlier in the day, the Press Herald reported.
The shooting happened about 8:45 p.m. on July 30 on Forest Avenue, near Morrill’s Corner.
Witnesses reported hearing as many as seven gunshots.
The shooting left four people wounded, one of whom — 54-year-old Susan McHugh of Gray — succumbed to her injuries the next day. Her death has been ruled a homicide.
A 45-year-old man from New Hampshire, a 48-year-old man from Yarmouth and a 51-year-old from Gray were all treated and released from the hospital over subsequent days.
Aaron Karp, 47, was taken into custody on Aug. 8 at the Portland police station, where he surrendered after learning an arrest warrant was issued for him. He faces a murder charge in the death of McHugh.
The other men were involved in the confrontation before the gunfire, according to police. They are due back in court in April.
BDN writer Christopher Burns contributed to this report.
