Bosma Murder Trial 05.25.16 - Day 55

[Arnie M]

Well, I have to say, the Crown is helping me down off the fence. Somewhat. The u-turn v. Bullman's testimony is hard to explain away. Sure, Bullman could have noticed Tim's truck at the exact moment it was passing his dad's laneway and then saw the Yukon pull out right behind it, giving him the impression both vehicles had just exited the field, but that seems to be a stretch.

I took another look at Marks's supposed U-Turn on Book Road story and it doesn't work for me either

Book Road is much too narrow for DM to do a U-Turn there ... even a three point turn would be hard ..... and MS claims the Yukon was parked on the driveway into the field , so the truck could not have backed in there to turn around

Besides , if the Yukon was parked in the field approach , it is only a few feet from Trinity RD and all DM would have to do was pull over on Trinity and MS could walk over to it .... to pull a few feet down Book and then try turn around would make it 5 times more difficult.

I call BS on MS story , I think the Yukon was at least partway in the field and both vehicles were in there at one time and the neighbor saw them both pull out just like he testified..

 

[Ontario Mom]

I took another look at Marks's supposed U-Turn on Book Road story and it doesn't work for me either

Book Road is much too narrow for DM to do a U-Turn there ... even a three point turn would be hard ..... and MS claims the Yukon was parked on the driveway into the field , so the truck could not have backed in there to turn around

Besides , if the Yukon was parked in the field approach , it is only a few feet from Trinity RD and all DM would have to do was pull over on Trinity and MS could walk over to it .... to pull a few feet down Book and then try turn around would make it 5 times more difficult.

I call BS on MS story , I think the Yukon was at least partway in the field and both vehicles were in there at one time and the neighbor saw them both pull out just like he testified..

The only way it could have worked, is if the Yukon was parked just far enough back on the laneway that the truck could have backed up (MS said DM pulled over just past the laneway), backed in, and turned and then went west with MS following in the Yukon. Of course that's not a u-turn but maybe MS doesn't know that. It would explain Bullman seeing 2 vehicles come out of the laneway though.

 

[meterclicks]

I think TD always knew MS had nothing to lose. I think he was always going to get first-degree even if he didn't testify IMO.

He has everything to lose. Something he says could be the difference between 1st degree, 2nd degree, etc. All have varying penalties. Raise enough questions and plant the seed of doubt at 1st. It's a ploy at a lesser accountability of guilt.

 

[sab_bri]

Ah, ok, I think I've finally got it--in MS's version, Tim's truck was never in what people call "the field"?

Thanks all.

DM Lawyer suggested to MS that they were farther back in the field then what MS is testifying to the lighter was found farther back in the field- this backs up the crowns story aswell.

 

[andreww]

If Millard and Smich had each just spent $30 on a cheap pay and talk phone to discuss their criminal business only, Smich would likely have walked away from this. Im not sure why young people today are just so stupid when it comes to leaving an electronic trail of everything they do. And these guys were smart enough to know that (thus the "bate phone") and they still used them and kept using them until the very end. #Stooopid

 

[mimimic]

Before or after MS got out of the RAM? TB would have to have gotten out of the RAM to let MS out ... then TB gets back into the RAM and they shut the vehicle door and then shoot him??? And then drive to Bobcat to switch plates? That makes no sense.

! Well - whoa! The gun must of come out very early.
too late - cleared up - 4 doors.

 

[cckp72]

If Millard and Smich had each just spent $30 on a cheap pay and talk phone to discuss their criminal business only, Smich would likely have walked away from this. Im not sure why young people today are just so stupid when it comes to leaving an electronic trail of everything they do. And these guys were smart enough to know that (thus the "bate phone") and they still used them and kept using them until the very end. #Stooopid

Thankfully they were and they were caught. Who knows how many other people would have died at their hands?

 

[Kamille]

He has everything to lose. Something he says could be the difference between 1st degree, 2nd degree, etc. All have varying penalties. Raise enough questions and plant the seed of doubt at 1st. It's a ploy at a lesser accountability of guilt.

Just jumping off your post....

I personally do not think MS did himself any favours by testifying. It allowed the Crown to get all of this extra information in that they otherwise would not have been able to, other than to reference some of it during their closing argument. Much more effective to be throwing it all right at one of the defendants in a cross exam. I think at the end of the Crown's case in chief, there were a lot more fence sitters with regards to MS's culpability in this crime. At this point, it seems like there are very few, if any, left who do not believe that he was involved in the planning, execution and clean up of a truck theft and murder.



MOO

 

[Jen Darme]

From Bullman's testimony, we know they searched the field with a K-9 unit. Here are the reporters' tweets from Feb 9th:

Molly Hayes:

Court has resumed. Next witness up: Rick Bullmann.
Bullmann lives right near the Bosmas' home in Ancaster. His dad too lives nearby.
Bullmann takes his dog for a walk on his property every night around 9/9:15. No different on May 6, 2013.
He saw 2 cars pull out of his dad's place. A dark pickup and another right behind it he couldn't quite see.
Both headed west on Book Rd, crossing Trinity Rd, toward Brantford. The 2 together seemed odd. He could see for less than a km.
Next day someone came to his house w a #TimBosma missing poster. He called police about what he had seen.
Quite a few' police w dogs came to comb his dad's field.
Court is looking at photos of Bullmanns property in proximity to the home down the road.
RB says 2nd vehicle was something in between a car and a truck.
Crown (Tony Leitch) is done. Nadir Sachak now cross-examining.
Sachak asking if his first impression was that the vehicles were horsing around (on dads property). RB: no. Assumed at first dumping garbage
Sachak quotes statement he gave to police back at the time, in which he says he figured it was someone horsing around.
Sachak says not an important point but just wants to display that memory fades over time.
Sachak asks about K-9 unit search, whether it was a careful detailed search. Not a quick one. RB agrees. No Qs from Dungey.


Susan Clairmont:

Next witness is Rick Bullman. He lives near the house. Seems very nervous. His voice is shaking.
He puts kids to bed at 8:30 pm then walks his dog. May 6, 2013 saw dark pickup pull out of his father's field, another vehicle behind it.
Saw vehicles drive off down Book Road.
Sometimes people dump garbage in that field. But he thought it was odd there were two vehicles together.
Next day someone came to his house with a Tim missing person flyer. He called the number on the flyer to report the two vehicles.
Court is seeing photos of field, roads.
Bullman says media reports that second vehicle was SUV seemed accurate to him.
Vehicles were travelling toward Brantford. He did not see who was inside.
He gave an audio statement to police on June 25, 2013.
He watched police and a K-9 unit searching field.


Adam Carter:

The next witness is Rick Bullman. He lives near the Bosma's house.
Bullman says he didn't know the Bosmas and hadn't talked to them.
Bullman says on May 6 he saw two vehicles pull out of his father's driveway going down towards Brantford.
Bullman did speak with police after #TimBosma vanished, and police dogs combed the area of his dad's property, he says.
Court now seeing the field in question, grass, hay bales and mud tracks from trucks.
Millard's lawyer Nadir Sachak now cross examining.
Sachak asks if people in the vehicle were "horsing around." Bullman says no.
Sachak asks if Bullman was telling the truth when he gave statements to police on June 20 and June 25. He says yes.
In his statement to police, Bullman did say someone might have been "horsing around."
Sachak now done cross examination. Dungey has no questions. Bullman is excused.


Next up was a police officer involved in DM's arrest. I couldn't find any other references to K-9 or police dogs.

 

[Kamille]

Very interesting that MS was contacting Iisho on the 10th. I still believe that the gun eventually may have made it's way back to him.

MOO

 

[earlygirl]

BD did say on the stand that, once, he let DM into the apartment, but nothing unusual happened. He was not questioned further about this comment though - so it was NOT established what date this was on.

just saying....

 

[andreww]

Just jumping off your post....

I personally do not think MS did himself any favours by testifying. It allowed the Crown to get all of this extra information in that they otherwise would not have been able to, other than to reference some of it during their closing argument. Much more effective to be throwing it all right at one of the defendants in a cross exam. I think at the end of the Crown's case in chief, there were a lot more fence sitters with regards to MS's culpability in this crime. At this point, it seems like there are very few, if any, left who do not believe that he was involved in the planning, execution and clean up of a truck theft and murder.



MOO

He knew he'd be found guilty so he took a shot. Beating this was a longshot, and its probably a longshot to beat the WM charges and the LB charges. Believe me, these guys are well aware that they will likely never be free again, so why not have a little fun in court?

 

[andreww]

Very interesting that MS was contacting Iisho on the 10th. I still believe that the gun eventually may have made it's way back to him.

MOO

Yep, that was the obvious answer. But after that reach out to Isho, is there any further contact between them?

 

[Kamille]

He knew he'd be found guilty so he took a shot. Beating this was a longshot, and its probably a longshot to beat the WM charges and the LB charges. Believe me, these guys are well aware that they will likely never be free again, so why not have a little fun in court?

You think 8 days of being questioned and grilled on the stand was his idea of "fun"?

They made a bad call IMO.

MOO

 

[sab_bri]

"No one was supposed to die. It was supposed to be the theft of a truck," Smich says. "Somebody did die, Mr. Smich, and somebody was burned. And your hands are all over it Mr. Smich," Fraser says.
by Adam Carter 12:26 PM

Fraser says Smich, "did what killers do" and tried to "cover his tracks."
by Adam Carter 12:27 PM

Fraser also pointing to two calls between Smich and Millard on May 9, and says they're talking about moving the truck there. Smich says he can't recall what was said.
by Adam Carter 12:28 PM

BBM - Thought it was supposed to be just a scoping of the truck for theft later?

 

[cckp72]

You think 8 days of being questioned and grilled on the stand was his idea of "fun"?

They made a bad call IMO.

MOO

Agree but oh I am sooooo glad they did!

 

[leafs_fan93]

Because the Crown is suggesting they both pulled into the laneway and shot TB then. And then both left together, MS knowing and participating in the death.

The only issue I have with this suggestion, is the field not close enough to the Bosma home that a gun shot would have been heard by SB or WDB?

 

[Kamille]

Yep, that was the obvious answer. But after that reach out to Isho, is there any further contact between them?

The Crown hasn't gotten to that time frame yet. But there is the breach of his contact order with MM. And her reaching out to Iisho on his IG. Anything is possible.

One thing I don't believe is that the gun is currently buried somewhere in an Oakville forest.

MOO

 

[cckp72]

BBM - Thought it was supposed to be just a scoping of the truck for theft later?

The way I understood his 'story' is that they would scope it out and if it fulfilled DM's needs, they would return the same night to steal it

 

[leafs_fan93]

Sorry, but this sounds to me like the Crown is tailoring it's story to the evidence. There is no evidence that points to the murder taking place in the field! Nothing, other then a man seeing two cars what he believes pulling out of the field. 100% they scoured that field for any type of blood evidence the very next day. Smich has been having problems with his phone in prior text messages, old phones, fading batteries. Happens to me every day! Of course Tim Bosma not just sitting in the car not noticing that that their taking the back roads all the way to Brantford, DM probably pulled out his gun and said who knows, this is how were doing this, I'm dropping you off, you'll report it as stolen, everybody's happy, when they stop Tim makes a grab for the gun. Of course MOO

Agreed, IIRC the only thing they have mentioned finding was a lighter.

I'm of the camp that thinks if MS was in fact in the Ram when TB was shot, there would have been, in the least, a trace of GSR or blood in the Yukon.