Laura Babcock Murder Trial 10.23.17 - Day 1, Opening Statements

[CJPRINCESS]

I think that house was likely sold and renovated before LE would have had a chance to get a warrant to search it for evidence in LB's murder. I don't think they ever searched for evidence of a murder or a murder victim in the house in TB's case?

I have no clue where my reply went to this 🤔 weird that it's gone

 

[swedie]

So he was stalking her, and it is weird because DM used his group of scum friends to keep a watch when he did robberies.

IIRC it was AM who was friends with LB initially and introduced LB to DM. So in a sense it would make sense DM would make that request of AM. But I won't hold my breath waiting for AM to tell the truth as to why DM requested AM keep an eye on her. He will claim it was because DM was concerned about her drug use, mental state...nothing nefarious. Who brought or lured LB to DM's house the night of her murder? Hmmm. MOO.

 

[deugirtni]

I'm seriously looking forward to the romantic timeline to this case. I'm amazed that DM was able to find one girl interested in him let alone multiple. I feel like he'd be annoying to be around and something about him strikes me as being clammy. What was it about him that CN thought was worth the indignity of first being his side piece when he had a fiancee to him cheating on her with multiple others when she was supposed to be his main squeeze?

It's surprising how alluring dollar signs can be to many women, it seems. jmo.

 

[CJPRINCESS]

I think that house was likely sold and renovated before LE would have had a chance to get a warrant to search it for evidence in LB's murder. I don't think they ever searched for evidence of a murder or a murder victim in the house in TB's case?

Let's see if it's vanishes again....

Most people don't rip floors out to renovate and sell (especially DM) and if done in the basement where there's concrete, the blood would still show. Not sure if paint covers blood either when Luminal is used? We already know DM and MS sucked at cleaning and hiding evidence.

The LE was back at the farm for LB evidence (tip off If I remember correctly) I'm sure LE went back to DM's house for a full search. Alot was hidden from the public during the LB investigation.

 

[deugirtni]

That line just about sent me air born when I read it in the tweets. That right there just spelled out the arrogance of the man. I "heard" intimidation in that question. Perhaps I am wrong but for him to start the trial like that just spelled out to me how this whole thing was going to play out. and absolutely yes, I wish Mr. Babcock would have cut him off at the knees at that exact moment. Would have put his whole game plan in reverse.

DM is a wannabe. Memories of nadir-sachak-style, imho.

 

[billandrew]

Combining today's evidence with evidence from the Bosma trial:

• On July 3, Millard was notified that The Eliminator had cleared the US-Canada border and was on the road to Millardair. Later that day he and Smich allegedly murdered Babcock. This was the last day Babcock's phone reported any activity.
• On July 5, the Eliminator was delivered to the hangar. It seems that they were unsuccessful in making it operational right away.
• On July 7, Millard had a reminder "Barn smell check" on his phone.
• On July 9, Schlatman emailed the incinerator asking about the fuel needed for a full burn.
• Millard searched "What temperature is cremation done at?" and screen-captured the results on his phone.
• By July 23 it seems the incinerator was finally ready to go, as Millard texted Smich, "The BBQ is ready for meat."
• Following that, a photo was taken of Smich standing by The Eliminator. Another photo allegedly depicts the inside of the incinerator blazing. Smich wrote the rap lyrics "...now the ***** lay on some ashy stone."
• On September 5, Millard texted Smich about moving the incinerator into the barn, and then "scoping the 35 at night", suggesting the Babcock mission had more or less concluded and they were moving on to the next mission of stealing a Dodge 3500 truck for Millard. Somewhere around this time Smich recorded himself rapping the lyrics that were written on July 23.

 

[Kamille]

Let's see if it's vanishes again....

Most people don't rip floors out to renovate and sell (especially DM) and if done in the basement where there's concrete, the blood would still show. Not sure if paint covers blood either when Luminal is used? We already know DM and MS sucked at cleaning and hiding evidence.

The LE was back at the farm for LB evidence (tip off If I remember correctly) I'm sure LE went back to DM's house for a full search. Alot was hidden from the public during the LB investigation.

IIRC they did replace the floors (or stained them) before the sale and I understand the new owner basically gutted the place and re did it after the sale, we've had some posters who live in the area post about the changes to the house since it was sold. Plus, would LE be able to get a warrant to rip out flooring in a house after it was vacated and sold by the accused? We know they don't repair or replace anything after a search.

:waitasec:

MOO

 

[Kamille]

I'm not following you...in a barn on property where no one lived, what difference would a smell make?

What do you make of the report he had in his calendar to preform a "smell check" on the barn during this period??

The barn on his farm was very close to the neighbours who lived in a home on their property. It would be important to make sure there were no strong smells coming from the barn.

MOO

 

[deugirtni]

IIRC they did replace the floors (or stained them) before the sale and I understand the new owner basically gutted the place and re did it after the sale, we've had some posters who live in the area post about the changes to the house since it was sold. Plus, would LE be able to get a warrant to rip out flooring in a house after it was vacated and sold by the accused? We know they don't repair or replace anything after a search.

:waitasec:

MOO

I am not sure if it was someone we know, who was known to DM, who purchased Maplegate... or if that is just rumor, or what.. but can you imagine the awkwardness.. it must be disclosed to a buyer if there is a murder at the home the buyer is purchasing, and yet nobody at the time, was the wiser. (I'm also not sure on the timing of the sale of the house in relation to the timing of DM's arrest for the LB murder, and the WM murder). At the time, it would only have been known that there was a 'suicide' at the home. I wonder if it had been just a regular home-buyer who had purchased the home, and then after this trial, he/she discovers that the seller himself did the murder, and so therefore was aware there was a murder in the home, wouldn't the buyer be able to sue DM for non disclosure? Just to add to his legal woes, and people with a case against his estate. jmo.

 

[Oreck]

I see the picture of LE carrying the board out of the barn.
If it was evidence it would have been covered with more than a paper grocery bag.
Else wise the defense attorneys would have a hayday with it.

 

[MsSherlock]

The barn on his farm was very close to the neighbours who lived in a home on their property. It would be important to make sure there were no strong smells coming from the barn.

MOO

IMO, a barn loft is a perfect spot to store a decomposing body- the loft in DM's old cattle barn would offer thousands of cubic feet of space. I'm assuming that LB was shot, thus there wouldn't be a build up of gases in the body. There is a good possibility that DM thinking ahead was smart enough to put the body on a board to allow for easy moving, put the board on top of a pile of straw and then cover her body with a lot more straw. Straw is very absorbent- that's why it's used for animal bedding. IMO, it would absorb any odours and fluids quite effectively acting as a bio-filter, but I'm thinking it would have also sped up the decomposition process. DM stopping by for a smell check would make sense, just to see if his genius was working- I would imagine DM's biggest concern was keeping the rodents and coyotes/wild dogs away because if IIRC, there were breaches in the barn's exterior walls.

I'm trying to go back to find out where the Eliminator was delivered- for some reason I thought it was the farm and I though SS worked on it at the farm but I may have my dates confused. Any clarification would be appreciated!

 

[MsSherlock]

I am not sure if it was someone we know, who was known to DM, who purchased Maplegate... or if that is just rumor, or what.. but can you imagine the awkwardness.. it must be disclosed to a buyer if there is a murder at the home the buyer is purchasing, and yet nobody at the time, was the wiser. (I'm also not sure on the timing of the sale of the house in relation to the timing of DM's arrest for the LB murder, and the WM murder). At the time, it would only have been known that there was a 'suicide' at the home. I wonder if it had been just a regular home-buyer who had purchased the home, and then after this trial, he/she discovers that the seller himself did the murder, and so therefore was aware there was a murder in the home, wouldn't the buyer be able to sue DM for non disclosure? Just to add to his legal woes, and people with a case against his estate. jmo.

The strange thing about the Maple Gate sale was that DM was arrested on May 10th, 2013, DM transferred it to MB for $1.00 on May 17th, and she quickly sold it for 1.2 million, closing the deal on July 4, 2013. The Buyer just happened to have the same last name as lawyer DP's partner in the petrified wood business. The property would be viewed as having a stigma because of the suicide- a murder would be considered another stigma, so when it was to ever sell again, if it sold with a Realtor they'd have to disclose both. If it sells privately, it's more buyer beware, but a simple google search of the address would bring up all the info any buyer would ever need to know.

 

[ILoveDateline]

Combining today's evidence with evidence from the Bosma trial:

• On July 3, Millard was notified that The Eliminator had cleared the US-Canada border and was on the road to Millardair. Later that day he and Smich allegedly murdered Babcock. This was the last day Babcock's phone reported any activity.
• On July 5, the Eliminator was delivered to the hangar. It seems that they were unsuccessful in making it operational right away.
• On July 7, Millard had a reminder "Barn smell check" on his phone.
• On July 9, Schlatman emailed the incinerator asking about the fuel needed for a full burn.
• Millard searched "What temperature is cremation done at?" and screen-captured the results on his phone.
• By July 23 it seems the incinerator was finally ready to go, as Millard texted Smich, "The BBQ is ready for meat."
• Following that, a photo was taken of Smich standing by The Eliminator. Another photo allegedly depicts the inside of the incinerator blazing. Smich wrote the rap lyrics "...now the ***** lay on some ashy stone."
• On September 5, Millard texted Smich about moving the incinerator into the barn, and then "scoping the 35 at night", suggesting the Babcock mission had more or less concluded and they were moving on to the next mission of stealing a Dodge 3500 truck for Millard. Somewhere around this time Smich recorded himself rapping the lyrics that were written on July 23.

Wow. Thanks for that timeline. Was there a date on the text from DM to CN, "I'll hurt her, make her leave. She'll be out of our lives".

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[swedie]

IMO, a barn loft is a perfect spot to store a decomposing body- the loft in DM's old cattle barn would offer thousands of cubic feet of space. I'm assuming that LB was shot, thus there wouldn't be a build up of gases in the body. There is a good possibility that DM thinking ahead was smart enough to put the body on a board to allow for easy moving, put the board on top of a pile of straw and then cover her body with a lot more straw. Straw is very absorbent- that's why it's used for animal bedding. IMO, it would absorb any odours and fluids quite effectively acting as a bio-filter, but I'm thinking it would have also sped up the decomposition process. DM stopping by for a smell check would make sense, just to see if his genius was working- I would imagine DM's biggest concern was keeping the rodents and coyotes/wild dogs away because if IIRC, there were breaches in the barn's exterior walls.

I'm trying to go back to find out where the Eliminator was delivered- for some reason I thought it was the farm and I though SS worked on it at the farm but I may have my dates confused. Any clarification would be appreciated!

Here you go MsSherlock. And a photo of it at the hangar.

Penn testified that he received an email on June 19, 2012 – nearly a year before Bosma’s disappearance – from a man named Shane Schlatman, who said he was interested in buying one of the devices. Further emails show that the incinerator was delivered to Millard Air’s hangar at the Region of Waterloo International Airport in early July, 2012, with the total bill coming to a little more than $15,400.

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/inciner...red-with-unique-request-trial-hears-1.2788334

 

[andreww]

I think she's just a girl who idolized her older rich boyfriend. I'm certain DM told her that he wasn't sleeping with LB after they started dating and she bought it.

Sorry but I disagree. I get the feeling that TB was a lot more informed about what happened to TB than she is letting on and that she was aware of the plan before the murder happened. First there were those cryptic texts right after the murder. Did she question what he was talking about? No. Then, at a time when you couldn’t be unaware of the TB disappearance and truck theft, she never questions or has any misgivings towards Millard. There is never any element of surprise or shock that might give you the impression that she was oblivious and had an “aha” moment. She even helps hide evidence and conspire with him after she is aware of what he is involved in. Remember, Millard was convicted largely on the evidence contained on his phone, but CNs phone was conveniently lost. If she is as innocent as she says, why ditch her phone?

How does she fit in to this case? It’s early but we already know that she knew about LB and that she wanted her out of the picture. It will be interesting to see who that text “first I’ll hurt her, then I’ll make her disappear” was sent to?

And it’s very convenient that she has chosen to go to Poland to get a medical degree. Would that degree even be valid in Canada? I think not. I get the feeling that she has been sent away until both these trials blow over.




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[andreww]

CN came off as arrogant, entitled and lacking empathy towards the Bosma family in the TB trial. I get the sense that she is used to getting what she wants and that someone was DM. IMO, she was not as high on the DM list as JS but above the real estate woman and LB (not sure where the bible woman from the TB trial fits in...sorry, I had to). I honestly don’t think that she would have shed a tear over LB getting ‘hurt’ as DM is quoted as saying. Her destroying evidence and withholding evidence in the TB trial goes a long way in showing how far she would go for DM.


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Was she covering for DM or herself though. Yes she seemed nuts when she testified, but in my opinion everything she said on the stand was a lie designed to protect herself. So who is the real CN? I don’t think we know yet, but one thing is for certain, she isn’t a nice person.


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[musicaljoke]

https://globalnews.ca/news/828217/t...ce-once-again-searching-dellen-millards-farm/ dated Sept 9, 2013

There's also a video of the farm property in this article.

Toronto Police Search Millard Farm
From the article ...

"Toronto Police officials wouldn’t say what they were looking for or what new information led them back to the Waterloo-area farm. Police spokesperson Constable Victor Kwong said it involves the case in “its entirety” and could be related to the death of Wayne Millard, the disappearance of Laura Babcock or further information about Millard himself."

 

[gremlingrrl]

What courtroom is the trial being held in? I was at the courthouse today before lunch but didn't know where to go.

Courtroom 2-7 (which has VERY limited seating).

There is an info desk beside the escalators with the daily courtroom assignments posted. (I didn't see the trial on the online daily court lists.)

 

[andreww]

They said he was sick today, maybe the reality hit him of another murder 1 conviction and made his sick.

We don’t really know what is going on in Smich’s life right now. Away from Millard’s influences for a few years now, I’m sure that he is deeply regretting his role in these crimes. Perhaps he’s even taking steps to be a better person. If so, I can see how sitting in that prisoners box would be a major setback for him. Who knows, just speculation on my part, but nonetheless, he’ll always be a ******* IMO.


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[Inspector_North]

The barn on his farm was very close to the neighbours who lived in a home on their property. It would be important to make sure there were no strong smells coming from the barn.

MOO

Pretty sure the "Eliminator" had a dual burn feature that eliminated lots of the exhaust gases, and smell with the secondary burn.

Storing the body for two weeks is a challenge if not frozen.