HAMILTON—The murder trial of Alessandro Giammichele is continuing in a Hamilton Court. Mr. Giammichele was charged with first-degree murder after the 2018 shooting death of Marko Bakir, in Hamilton. Mr. Giammichele, who pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting death of Mr. Bakir, had previously lived in the town of Gore Bay for two years.
As was reported in the May 25, 2022 edition of The Manitoulin Expositor, Mr. Giammichele of Hamilton, who until that time had recently lived in Gore Bay, was one of two men who had been arrested in relation to the 2018 homicide investigation into the death of Mr. Bakir.
On May 20, 2022, Hamilton Police Detective Sergeant Steven Bereziuk announced the Hamilton Police Service homicide unit had arrested the then 28-year-old Alessandro Giammichele of Hamilton in the first-degree murder of Marko (Mark) Bakir. Mr. Giammichele was also known as “Gino” and “Sandro.”
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On Thursday, November 22, 2018, at approximately 8:15 pm Mr. Bakir was shot to death in his own driveway at an address on Clifton Downs Road in the City of Hamilton.
Mr. Giammichele had been arrested by Hamilton homicide detectives in the City of Thunder Bay on May 18, 2022 without incident.
At the same time then 25-year-old Abdelaziz Ibrahim, also of Hamilton (who has since died), was also charged with the first-degree murder of Mr. Bakir.
Hamilton Police Detective Sergeant Steve Bereziuk of the Hamilton Police told CHCH News in Hamilton on May 20, 2018 that the victim had been shot to death in his driveway in the City of Hamilton. There was one shooter. The police investigation had continued for four years. Mr. Giammichele, “has been living in the North for some time, the last couple of years on Manitoulin Island, and had moved to Lively briefly before moving to Thunder Bay.” While in Gore Bay he had worked at Manitoulin Transport,” Detective Sergeant Bereziuk told The Expositor at the time. “The motive for the murder was financial in nature. It had to do with money. There was a friendship between Mr. Giammichele and Mr. Bakir for a short time, but there was a falling out.”
“We had the assistance of the Manitoulin OPP and Sudbury OPP, as well as the Greater Sudbury Police Service and the Thunder Bay Police Service, and we thank them for their assistance,” Detective Sergeant Bereziuk told The Expositor at the time.
The Hamilton Spectator published a story in its April 26, 2025 edition titled ‘Money, Motive and Murder: Crown evidence to show how a $100k debt unravelled a friendship ahead of 2018 shooting death.’
It was explained by the Spectator that Mr. Giammichele and Mr. Bakir had planned to meet at an autobody shop on the evening of November 22, 2018 so that Mr. Giammichele could repay part of a large debt owed to Marko Bakir. However, the meeting never took place and Mr. Bakir, 31 at the time, was shot in his driveway at around 8:15 that night.
Mr. Giammichele is charged with first-degree murder in his death. He has pleaded not guilty.
“Money, motive and murder. That’s what this case is about,” assistant Crown Attorney Elise Quinn told jurors in an opening address at John Sopinka Courthouse, reported the Spectator. “During Crown evidence, 12 jurors will hear how Giammichele and Bakir became close in 2018,” the Crown said.
“The pair dined and travelled together and called each other brother,” she said, explaining Mr. Bakir who had been awarded a $350,000 settlement following a motorcycle crash and lent his friend $100,000 to invest in his business. “The loan came with a contract and repayment schedule. But Mr. Giammichele didn’t pay it back.
The Spectator reported that assistant Crown Attorney Quinn said text and audio messages will show jurors Mr. Bakir began to threaten his debtor, warning he would tell Mr. Giammichele’s father, who he lived with, and uncle, who he worked with, of their relative’s primary source of income, drugs, if he didn’t make good on his promise. On November 21, 2018 Mr. Giammichele asked Mr. Barkir to meet him at his uncle’s Hendershot Road business the next day to give him $5,000 but cancelled when he learned Mr. Bakir’s brother would pick up the cash instead, the Crown said.
Mr. Giammichele didn’t physically pull the trigger, the Crown said, but he played a ‘fundamental role’ in Mr. Bakir’s murder. “A hitman pulled a trigger and shot him five times, leaving him to die,” assistant Crown Attorney Quinn was quoted by the Spectator. The alleged shooter was Abdelaziz Abrahim, who is now dead, she said.
Twelve days after Mr. Bakir was killed, Mr. Giammichele travelled to the Dominican Republic where he stayed for six months, the assistant Crown Attorney said. Police met him at the airport when he returned in May 2019.
Assistant Crown Attorney Quinn said in the months following the shooting, Mr. Giammichele conducted several searches like “Marko Bakir killed” and “Hamiton mountain shooting November 22.” He also used an app to translate into Spanish. “Please don’t tell anyone I am here,” the Crown read. “I am a hitman. I wanted to get away and let everything settle,” the Spectator reported.
