Eight men were found dead Saturday inside four vehicles left on a tract of farmland now believed to be the site of Ontario's worst mass murder.
The quiet village of 800 about 30 kilometres southwest of London near St. Thomas is known as Ontario's rhubarb capital, but also has a history of biker activity, raising speculation among some that the grisly scene had links to the underworld.
Shocked residents were in search of answers, although police were not disclosing many details about the bizarre crime scene.
They refused to make any link to organized crime or confirm reports that each of the men had been shot to death.
"We're not in a position to reveal how they were murdered," Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Dave Rektor told a news conference about eight hours after the bodies were found by the property owner at about 8:30 a.m.
"I won't confirm at this point what the persons were killed by."
An aerial view showed the vehicles parked within 200 metres of each other. The bodies were still inside. One man's body, curled in the trunk of a car, his wrists pinned in front of him, was in clear view from above.
A minivan was discovered in a field about 20 metres off a dirt road. About 100 metres away, a tow truck was found parked on the shoulder with a small silver car hooked to the back. The tow truck was marked with the logo "Superior Towing." The owner of a firm by that name in the Toronto area denied that the truck was one of his.
A fourth car was parked in a clearing about 100 metres along the dirt road. The hatch was wide open.
Mary and Russell Steele, who own the property around which the cars were parked, told Global News that the vehicles weren't there when they took the road home the night before at around 8:30 p.m.
They said they called police Saturday morning after looking inside one of the vehicles and not being able to see anything because of a blanket covering the back window.
"We didn't see anybody in them, so we just phoned the cops with the licence plate numbers," Russell Steele said.
"The police opened opened the back and I could see forms," his wife said. "I couldn't tell, but immediately in my mind I thought, 'these are bodies.' "
Surrounding Elgin County has a history of biker activity. Several motorcycle clubs have been known to populate the area including the Loners, the Bandidos and the Hells Angels.
In separate incidents in 1994 and 1998, the bodies of a man and a woman were found dumped in county fields.
Both had been beaten to death and neither of the murders were ever solved.
In October 1999, there was a shootout on Highway 401, apparently the result of a rift inside one of the gangs.
"Whether or not it's connected to anything we're not sure," Sgt. Rektor said.
Residents whose homes border the crime scene said they were unaware of any biker activity.
But most found it too unbelievable that such a large-scale murder could have been at the hands of anyone they knew. Their backyard had been made a dumping ground by an underworld from elsewhere, they said.
"I assume it has nothing to do with anyone local," said Ronald Baxter, 71, who lives about half a kilometre away from where the bodies were found.
"I suspect it has nothing to do with this area and that simply some chance random selection was made as to where these vehicles were going to be dropped off."
"There's nothing that goes on here in Shedden. You've got Rosy Rhubarb Days, that's the big event."
Mayor James McIntyre said police had assured the village's 800 residents they were not in any danger.
"The investigators basically said that there was no concerns of anybody being at risk in the community," said McIntyre.
Stan Lidster, the 60-year-old deputy mayor, said the murders had the markings of organized crime.
"At least, myself, I'm astounded eight bodies were found in Southold Township," Mr. Lidster said. "It's got to be an organized crime."
A local councillor said whoever was responsible for the murders had targeted Shedden because it is secluded.
"I think it's just one of those things where they picked an area that they thought might have been quiet for something," said Robert Monteith.
Darlene Deslandes, who has lived in the area all her life and had a full view of the vehicles from her back window, called the murder scene scary and wildly out of character.
"It's quiet and calm, nothing ever happens here," Ms. Deslandes said.
"If they are from around this area, it would be scarier than if it's someone from far away."
Brett Potter, 43, who has lived in the village for a decade, said he was looking for answers.
"It's not something we're used to in this neighbourhood. It's a quiet area," Mr. Potter said.
"It would be nice to know what happened, what brought it about."
Another man whose property borders the dirt road said he was frustrated by the lack of information provided by authorities.
"I've heard more from a friend in Calgary whose daughter was on the Internet than I've heard from around here," he said.
Neither Ontario's coroner nor the Attorney-General's office would comment.
Police, whose cruisers blocked both ends of Stafford Line well into the evening, would not answer questions but were stopping cars to ask drivers what they had seen.
A covered transport truck removed at least one of the vehicles - bodies in tow - under the cloak of darkness late Saturday, with the remaining vehicles to be removed overnight and taken to a central location in London before being transported to Toronto, police said.
No more details were to be provided until a 10 a.m. news conference on Sunday.