Two men plead guilty in connection with deadly Portland biker brawl case
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by Ariana St Pierre,WGME , May 4, 2026
https://wgme.com/news/local/two-men-plead-guilty-in-connection-with-deadly-portland-biker-brawl-case-outlaws-motorcycle-club-kristofer-haken-maine-crime-police-gun-violence-forest-avenue-caleb-pelkey
PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) — Two men will each spend 30 days behind bars for their roles in a deadly biker brawl in Portland.
Officials say Kristofer Haken of Londonderry, New Hampshire and Caleb Pelkey of Portland each pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of assault. The conspiracy to commit elevated aggravated assault and elevated aggravated assault charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal.
Haken and Pelkey will both spend 30 days in jail and will have to pay a $300 fine.
Haken and Pelkey were among seven people arrested in connection with a brawl that turned into a deadly shooting on July 30, 2024, on Forest Avenue in Portland in the parking lot of a mechanic shop. Police said 54-year-old Susan McHugh of Gray was killed and three others were injured.
Aaron Karp of Naples pleaded guilty in April 2025 to manslaughter for McHugh’s death. As part of a plea deal, the murder charge was dropped.
Prosecutors said the shooting happened during a fight between rival motorcycle clubs.
Prosecutors had video evidence of Karp firing the fatal shot, but because his victim shot first, they felt Karp’s self-defense claim might be enough for a jury to acquit him.
The judge agreed to the plea deal and sentenced Karp to 15 years for manslaughter, with all but five years suspended, which means he’ll spend five years in prison.
The incident started at the Brookside Bar in Westbrook. According to testimony, the bar has rules about not wearing biker jackets and vests with club colors.
According to testimony, members of the FSU biker club got upset with the Higher Calling club for wearing their colors, threw some punches and took one of the Higher Calling vests.
Police said Higher Calling members called members of a third club, The Outlaws, who showed up at the Brookside Bar and later confronted some members of the FSU club on Forest Avenue.
Officers testified that seven to nine men wearing Outlaw colors crossed Forest Avenue carrying weapons, including a baseball bat and small sledgehammer, and attacked three members of the rival club.
That’s when police say McHugh fired one shot, causing all the Outlaws to turn and run, until police said Karp fired nine shots at McHugh, with one bullet hitting her in the chest.
Police said someone else picked up McHugh’s gun and returned fire.
Four others are also facing charges connected to the shooting. They face a variety of charges, including elevated aggravated assault.
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