Hells Angels allegedly got rid of victims’ bodies using ‘pizza oven’ funeral home.

In the underbelly of California, a chilling narrative has emerged that connects one of the most notorious biker gangs, the Hells Angels, to a macabre tale of using a funeral home, dubbed the “pizza oven,” to make evidence vanish.

Federal prosecutors allege that this grim association goes beyond the realm of urban legends and dives deep into the realm of reality. Merl Hefferman, a member of the Sonoma County Hells Angels, is at the center of this gruesome story.

As detailed by the Los Angeles Times, Hefferman approached Levi Phipps, the manager of Yost & Webb Funeral Home in Fresno, with an unsettling request. Hefferman, using cryptic language, expressed his desire to “make things disappear.”

It was a phrase that Phipps, in a chilling revelation, came to understand as a reference to human bodies. Prosecutors contend that Hefferman, now 54 years old, utilized the services of the funeral home to dispose of the remains of Joel Silva, a fellow Hells Angels member who met a grim fate in 2014.

In a disturbing sequence of events, Silva’s body was allegedly subjected to the crematorium within the funeral home, effectively reducing it to ashes. But the chilling tale doesn’t end with Silva; prosecutors also allege that this macabre process was repeated for three others.

In court documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors assert, “Merl Hefferman arranged to have Joel Silva’s body illegally cremated. This was purposeful, premeditated conduct. Hefferman obstructed justice. He also caused immense pain to Silva’s family: they had no body to mourn, no closure, and no certainty about what had happened to Silva until … nearly eight years after Silva disappeared.”

While Hefferman did plead guilty to obstructing justice by disposing of Silva’s remains in late 2014 or early 2015, no charges or convictions have been secured regarding the other three alleged cremations of individuals reportedly killed by members of the Hells Angels.

Joel Silva’s tragic tale finds partial resolution with the conviction of three Hells Angels members in connection to his murder. Brian Wendt was convicted of fatally shooting Silva in the head, while two senior Hells Angels members, Jonathan Nelson and Russell Taylor Ott, were found guilty of orchestrating the killing. This revelation, as reported by the LA Times, offers some closure to Silva’s family.

Merl Hefferman’s story, however, continues to unfold. Scheduled for sentencing on October 19, 2023, the looming question is how the judicial system will address this macabre chapter. Prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence, while Hefferman’s attorneys advocate for two and a half years.