Pubdate: Sat, 21 Jan 2006
Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Hamilton Spectator
Contact:  http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/181
Author: Susan Clairmont

SLAYING OF LAWYER REVENGE: POLICE

Lynn Gilbank was afraid. And determined.

She was afraid the drug mule she was representing would be killed by
the powerful Gravelle brothers he had turned on. She was pleased he
got into the witness protection program.

She was afraid her daughter Kristen, who worked in her law office,
could be in danger from the Gravelles and Johnny K-9, the Gravelle
family's enforcer. So she warned her to be careful.

She was determined, despite the risks, to take down the Gravelles. To
stop the drug running.

The Gravelles had beaten the justice system too many times. She hated
that they had walked away and let others do the time.

After hearing about a major seizure of drugs tied to the Gravelles,
she told the mule: "We're going to put them away this time and ...
they're not going to get out this time."

She wanted to bring them down.

* * *

Lynn is home with her husband Fred.

Between 5:15 and 5:30 a.m. Nov. 16, 1998.

Blasts from a 12-gauge shotgun.

Neighbours hear loud bangs. A car drives down Ancaster's Postans
Path.

The Gilbanks have been murdered.

* * *

It is one of the longest, most complicated, costliest murder
investigations in Hamilton Police history.

Months and sometimes years have gone by with police saying nothing at
all about their investigation. Publication bans have prevented the
media from reporting most evidence presented so far in court.

Now, for the first time, details of the killing of Lynn and Fred, the
police theory on the motive behind the murders and evidence that led
to the arrests of Andre Gravelle and John (Johnny K-9) Croitoru are
being revealed in this exclusive Hamilton Spectator story.

The information in this article comes from a 55-page application filed
with the Superior Court of Justice this week by the Hamilton Police.
It includes allegations yet to be proven in court. The application
asks for an order compelling Spectator reporter Bill Dunphy to turn
over all records related to interviews he did between March 2001 and
April 2005 with Paul Gravelle, the alleged kingpin behind the family's
multi-million dollar hash oil business.

The Spectator is fighting the order. A date has not been set for the
preliminary hearing for Andre and Croitoru.

* * *

Paul Gravelle is living in Mexico.

He says he has been on vacation there since April 2005.

He hasn't seen a copy of the production order application but says he
is up to date on the court proceedings.

When asked if he is the Gravelle family kingpin as alleged in the
documents, he says this:

"There's 12 in our family and only the boys have a criminal record.
And not all of them. That's just pure fabrication. I've just gone out
of it altogether now. I've retired. It's no secret, yes, I was a drug
importer. Mostly hash oil and marijuana."

Did he order the hit on Lynn and Fred Gilbank?

"No. That's not true. Our family is not killers ... That's beyond us
to do a thing like that. That's a despicable act. That's a cowardly
act."

* * *

Hamilton police believe Lynn Gilbank and her husband were murdered
because she helped Gravelle family drug mule Bill Smith rat out his
former bosses. That she helped him provide information to police that
led to several arrests of family members and associates and cost the
Gravelles millions of dollars.

"It is the view of the investigators that in order to put an end to
these losses the Gravelle organization had to send out a message that
would be a warning to those cooperating with the police... The
investigators believe that these (Gilbank) murders were committed to
intimidate potential informers and justice system participants."

* * *

Lynn's life seemed charmed.

She had married her high school sweetheart. They had two grown
children, Mark and Kristen. They lived in a beautiful, two-storey home
in a charming Ancaster neighbourhood.

But Lynn wanted more.

So in 1995, at age 49, she began practising criminal
law.

In February 1997, Lynn met with a client at Maplehurst Detention
Centre in Milton. Another accused man named Bill Smith saw the way she
worked. He hired her as his own lawyer.

Police believe that relationship led to Lynn's death.

* * *

Bill Smith first met the Gravelles in March 1996. He was living on
Manitoulin Island and hired Denis Gravelle to do some construction
jobs with him. In early 1997, Denis arranged for Smith to come to
Hamilton and build a sauna at the home of his brother, Paul.

While Smith was working on the sauna he often saw Johnny K-9 at the
house. Once,, Smith saw the results of K-9 beating a man who had been
a "runner" for Paul and "mouthed off." Smith said the man had his face
"smeared. . .all over the wall" and there was blood from one end of
the basement to the other. The runner himself later told detectives
that K-9 had broken his eye orbit, nose and jaw.

Smith knew the Gravelles dealt in cannabis resin, also known as hash
oil. He told police he'd overheard Paul talking about smuggling it in
a sailboat and he'd seen Denis with Tupperware containers of the stuff.

Smith's wife joined him in Hamilton. They planned to visit Niagara
Falls for a belated honeymoon when he was done the sauna.

"Paul Gravelle decided that it would be better if Smith went to
Jamaica," according to the documents. "He would pay Smith a lot of
money to bring 'stuff' back."

The Smiths flew to Jamaica on Feb. 4, 1997. Paul's wife bought the
tickets and Paul bought the luggage: two Samsonite hard-sided bags
with combination locks and keys. Police say Paul also gave Smith
orders: if he got caught, the Gravelles had lawyers to get him out.

"As soon as you get caught, plead guilty and you're only gonna get
like 18 months," Paul said.

After a week at a Jamaican resort, the Smiths flew home. Five jugs of
hash oil worth $500,000 was found in their bags. They were arrested at
Pearson Airport for importing.

Smith called Paul from jail. Paul laughed and told Smith to plead
guilty. They'd get him a lawyer.

Smith didn't follow orders. He hired Lynn Gilbank instead.

* * *

Lynn didn't mince words when she talked about the Gravelles.

She told a cop she believed they were capable of killing
people.

She told Smith the Gravelles had been caught in Florida with "a
boatload of oil" and "everything was blamed on a kid and the big guys
all got out when they transferred back to Ontario."

She told Smith he'd been used as "a mule."

Smith told police his lawyer hated the way the Gravelles manipulated
the justice system. She hated anything to do with drugs.

Even though she was a defense lawyer, she had "a real hard-on for
these people and she definitely was gonna step on some toes," he told
the police.

* * *

After Smith got bail, bad things started happening to the Gravelles
and their associates.

A former girlfriend of Paul Gravelle and another woman were arrested
for importing 14.5 kilograms of hash oil worth over $400,000. Denis
Gravelle was arrested and charged with bringing two pounds of pot
worth $20,000 to Manitoulin Island.

The police say Smith was at the courthouse when Denis Gravelle's
lawyer walked up to him and said: "You're the one that ratted out
Denis." Later that day, Smith was put in the Witness Protection
Program. Lynn Gilbank said that was the best place for him because
these guys wanted him.

After Smith was put into protection, the Gravelle family had more
troubles.

In May 1998, two more brothers, Danny and Andre, were arrested for
importing hash oil worth $12.5 million. In October, Paul Gravelle's
son Christian and another man were arrested for possessing marijuana
and hash oil worth a total of $160,000.

One month later, Lynn and Fred were shot to death.

* * *

It's been more than seven years since the criminal lawyer and her
husband were murdered -- executed -- in their own home. Lynn Gilbank
would hate how slowly the wheels of justice are turning.
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