Laura Babcock: Dellen Millard & Mark Smich charged w/ Murder in the First Degree #2

[SnooperDuper]

SC for the Spectator:

Direct indictments are applied for by the Crown and are granted by the attorney general or deputy attorney general, and only in the most serious and complicated criminal cases.

Ontario's Crown policy manual says: "This power is an extraordinary one and is used infrequently in Ontario."

An application generally indicates the Crown believes it has a strong likelihood of conviction. The fast-tracking speeds up the judicial process, can reduce violations of publication bans (which are in place for both the Bosma and Babcock matters), spares witnesses from having to testify twice and the family from having to endure two lengthy hearings. It can prevent the defence from knowing the details of the Crown's strategy.

A direct indictment can also protect the integrity of evidence if there are related cases before the court.

For defence lawyers, it eliminates the opportunity to prove there is insufficient evidence for their clients to stand trial.

The next court date for the Babcock case is Dec. 11. A trial date has not yet been set.

Millard is also charged with the first-degree murder of his own father, Wayne Millard, whose November 2012 shotgun death was originally ruled a suicide. There is no trial date yet for that case.

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5839030-babcock-murder-case-going-straight-to-trial/

 

[SnooperDuper]

CP24 adds nothing new http://www.cp24.com/news/no-preliminary-inquiry-for-men-charged-in-murder-of-laura-babcock-1.2559372

 

[matou]

From the quote:

Millard is also charged with the first-degree murder of his own father, Wayne Millard, whose November 2012 shotgun death was originally ruled a suicide. There is no trial date yet for that case.

So the three Matthew's sold DM a SHOTGUN?

According to the Hamilton Spectator, police believe Mr. Ward-Jackson, Matthew Odlum and Matthew Jackson Wawrykiewicz, sold Dellen Millard the gun he allegedly used to kill his father.

I seem to doubt it was a shotgun. Plus it was deemed to be sold somewhere from June 1st to July 30th of 2012.



http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5839030-babcock-murder-case-going-straight-to-trial/

http://news.nationalpost.com/toront...-accused-of-selling-him-alleged-murder-weapon

 

[SnooperDuper]

From the quote:

So the three Matthew's sold DM a SHOTGUN?



I seem to doubt it was a shotgun. Plus it was deemed to be sold somewhere from June 1st to July 30th of 2012.



http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5839030-babcock-murder-case-going-straight-to-trial/

http://news.nationalpost.com/toront...-accused-of-selling-him-alleged-murder-weapon

Whoa, that's a tantalizing tidbit. I totally missed that, thanks.

What I immediately imagine is that WM was killed with a handgun, but posed with a shotgun, and somehow the investigation never became aggressive.

 

[matou]

[h=1]Dellen Millard and co-accused go straight to murder trial in death of Laura Babcock[/h][h=2]Two men also accused in death of Ancaster’s Tim Bosma, and will get a preliminary hearing in neither case.[/h]
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...o-murder-trial-in-death-of-laura-babcock.html

 

[SnooperDuper]

Toronto Star has picked up LC's story first on CTV mobile:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...o-murder-trial-in-death-of-laura-babcock.html

I think it's being reported...there just isn't anything to say.

 

[Alethea Dice]

From the quote:

So the three Matthew's sold DM a SHOTGUN?



I seem to doubt it was a shotgun. Plus it was deemed to be sold somewhere from June 1st to July 30th of 2012.



http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5839030-babcock-murder-case-going-straight-to-trial/

http://news.nationalpost.com/toront...-accused-of-selling-him-alleged-murder-weapon

I always found that a little wonky too. With the timing of the dates, it seems more like they are alleging that the gun sold by the 3 M's was used in LB's death, not WM's.

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/04/12/tim_bosma_murder_case_laura_babcock_dead_before_she_was_reported_missing_police_allege.html

 

[Arnie M]

.

It has been commonly reported that WM died of a GUNSHOT wound to the head and I suspect some reporter has made a mistake and morphed the word to SHOTGUN .

A shotgun blast is very destructive , it would almost blow a head right off. Stuff would be all over the walls.

Most reporters dont know anything about guns.

 

[Alethea Dice]

.

It has been commonly reported that WM died of a GUNSHOT wound to the head and I suspect some reporter has made a mistake and morphed the word to SHOTGUN .

A shotgun blast is very destructive , it would almost blow a head right off. Stuff would be all over the walls.

Most reporters dont know anything about guns.

I wondered if that's what's happened too. SC seems to be the only one reporting it as a shotgun, but she also has been since the beginning, and has differentiated between a shotgun and a handgun in other cases she's reported on.

The shotgun death of his father, Wayne Millard, last December was considered a suicide at the time.

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3236885-clairmont-accused-bosma-killer-cowers-in-court/

It's hard for me to imagine anyone not knowing what a shotgun is though, even without any knowledge of guns. We had many conversations on here back in the beginning of what a shotgun blast would do. I guess that's another thing we won't know until trial.

JMO

 

[SnooperDuper]

<rsbm>

My biggest worry is the judge might try to enforce a media blackout until ALL the cases are dealt with.

Which would be about the year 2020

.

I asked Abro on the scope of the publication bans and this is what she said (comments):

http://www.annrbrocklehurst.com/2015/09/direct-indictment-issued-in-laura-babcock-case.html

 

[swedie]

Whoa, that's a tantalizing tidbit. I totally missed that, thanks.

What I immediately imagine is that WM was killed with a handgun, but posed with a shotgun, and somehow the investigation never became aggressive.

Did DM have more that one gun? Did they both take the same ammo? So if MWJ sold DM the gun which he used to kill his father, where did the other gun come from if one was used in LB's and TB's murder? MWJ also? Will we see more charges against him? Did WM own a gun(s)? I wouldn't think someone into flora and fauna would feel the desire to own a gun, unless it was of course for protection? I highly doubt LE would release the gun used in WM's case. It was an open investigation so.... Cowards and psychos typically take the easier method when murdering their victims. I suspect more than one gun was involved. Maybe LE have collected the other gun(s) also? Matching ammo? ALL MOO.

Having a long gun and a handgun that shoot the same cartridge enables shooters to carry one type of ammunition, and load both guns from one box or cartridge belt. Running short on one type of ammo doesn&#8217;t happen; both guns stay in the game&#8212;or fight&#8212;until the last cartridge is gone.

If there&#8217;s a disadvantage to the concept, it&#8217;s that high-performance rifle cartridges aren&#8217;t suitable for handguns. Put another way, handgun and rifle combos are almost universally chambered for handgun cartridges. The result? Reduced range from your rifle.

http://www.shootingtimes.com/ammo/dual-wielding-best-rifle-handgun-cartridge-combos/

 

[MsSherlock]

And straight to trial they go! DM & MS - http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5839030-babcock-murder-case-going-straight-to-trial/

 

[Juballee]

And straight to trial they go! DM & MS - http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5839030-babcock-murder-case-going-straight-to-trial/

It's interesting how the wording has changed a bit from the usual history:

" Her phone records show some of her last calls before she disappeared were to Millard's phone."

 

[Arnie M]

Did DM have more that one gun?
Did WM own a gun(s)?

I dont know

But do you remember the picture of the gun leaning against the wall at DM/WM house .... looked like a shotgun

The room was cluttered , pile of credit cards and mail on the table , the internet has been scrubbed clean of most of those pictures.

Regardless , it is highly unlikely that it was ever used for crime , but I think that is where the WM-Shotgun rumor got started. Somebody saw the picture and jumped to seclusion. Somebody said a reporter took the picture after the search warrant was completed , but that sounded hinkey ... why would a reporter be allowed access. Maybe took the picture thru the window?

 

[SnooperDuper]

It's interesting how the wording has changed a bit from the usual history:

" Her phone records show some of her last calls before she disappeared were to Millard's phone."

I don't think anyone has said LB was only calling DM.

In the four days before her disappearance, Laura made 13 calls, including her final one on July 3, to Millard, a fact that was revealed by CTV News reporter Tamara Cherry on May 17, shortly after Dellen Millard was arrested for the murder of Tim Bosma on a test drive gone horribly wrong.

http://www.annrbrocklehurst.com/201...llard-about-laura-babcocks-disappearance.html

 

[SnooperDuper]

The Toronto Sun published comment made to LC, whose Canadian Press article was published by a few more outlets today:

Millard's lawyer, Ravin Pillay, said a direct indictment is rare and two separate direct indictments against one individual on two separate first-degree murder charges is unprecedented.

"We are disappointed with this development and will consider whatever recourse is available to redress what we feel is a regrettable denial of due process," Pillay said in an email to The Canadian Press.

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/1...charged-with-murder-in-death-of-laura-babcock

 

[Juballee]

I don't think anyone has said LB was only calling DM

RSBM

No, no one said that LB was ONLY calling DM, but previously the MSM had been reporting that her last calls had been to DM:

According to her phone bill that Lerner showed news organizations, Babcock's final eight calls were to Millard's cellphone. There were no more calls after July 3, 2012.



http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/11/straight-to-trial-for-two-men-charged-with-murder-in-death-of-laura-babcock

And apparently some media sources are still saying it.

Also from that link:

Police have refused to tell her family if they've found her body or her remains.

I wonder if this is true and if they still have not been fully informed about their daughter's case by the crown? Why would they Refuse to share crucial information like that from her next of kin? I would like to hope that if they had some kind of remains that they would allow her family the closure of a burial.

 

[SnooperDuper]

RSBM

No, no one said that LB was ONLY calling DM, but previously the MSM had been reporting that her last calls had been to DM:

According to her phone bill that Lerner showed news organizations, Babcock's final eight calls were to Millard's cellphone. There were no more calls after July 3, 2012.



http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/11/straight-to-trial-for-two-men-charged-with-murder-in-death-of-laura-babcock

And apparently some media sources are still saying it.

Also from that link:

Police have refused to tell her family if they've found her body or her remains.

I wonder if this is true and if they still have not been fully informed about their daughter's case by the crown? Why would they Refuse to share crucial information like that from her next of kin? I would like to hope that if they had some kind of remains that they would allow her family the closure of a burial.

Every news story features a recap to refresh reader's minds about the case. The media each have some kind of boilerplate story on file and they just clip a few lines from that every time they publish a new article, it seems, in order to accomplish that task.

I thought LC's CP story that used the phrase "declared dead" pretty telling. If LB is legally dead, she's dead.

 

[matou]

I'm sure LE has investigated ALL of the phone calls, texts, etc. that LB made in her final days. I'm sure those people have been cleared. JMO

 

[Alethea Dice]

I dont know

But do you remember the picture of the gun leaning against the wall at DM/WM house .... looked like a shotgun

The room was cluttered , pile of credit cards and mail on the table , the internet has been scrubbed clean of most of those pictures.

Regardless , it is highly unlikely that it was ever used for crime , but I think that is where the WM-Shotgun rumor got started. Somebody saw the picture and jumped to seclusion. Somebody said a reporter took the picture after the search warrant was completed , but that sounded hinkey ... why would a reporter be allowed access. Maybe took the picture thru the window?

If I recall correctly, the photos were taken through the window. And, from the way it was worded, it was after the search warrant.

When the Star visited the home, which backs onto a golf course, in May following a police investigation, it was a mess, with clothing, documents and cans of soup strewn throughout. The only thing moving was a black cat.

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2013/07/19/tim_bosma_case_dellen_millards_mother_sells_family_home_for_12_million.html