Published on June 02, 2017
GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A member of a Pierce “biker gang” who murdered a woman in 2015 pleaded guilty today in Weld County District Court, nearly two weeks after a jury convicted another member in the gang.
Michael Vassil, 25, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Under the plea agreement, Vassil will be sentenced to prison for 60 years.
Vassil and four other co-defendants murdered Tera Lewandowski in September 2015 after she “disrespected the gang.” They stabbed her several times while she was sleeping, wrapped her body in carpet and dumped her nearly 100 miles away in Wyoming. It took authorities nearly six months to locate her body.
Former Pierce town board member D.J. Meyer, who was also part of the self-described gang known as 21, was convicted of first-degree murder at trial in late May. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison.
During that trial, several co-defendants said Vassil and his father, Thomas, along with Meyer orchestrated the murder of Tera and enlisted the help of three other co-defendants. After hiding the body, the group burned all of her belongings.
Michael Vassil will be sentenced on July 3. Thomas Vassil, the last of the co-defendants yet to go to trial or plea, is set for an arraignment later this month.