I've expanded my timeline to include as many texts and other evidence as I could find going back to February 9, 2012. Nearly 225 rows were added today.
Some interesting points:
- On April 15, 2012, Millard texted Smich, "five fingered you some practice ammo", which was followed by a conversation about .380 vs 9 mm ammo. This implies that a gun was intended to be used by Smich since Millard got the ammo for him.
- On May 28, 2012, in the midst of Millard getting Schlatman to build a homemade incinerator, Millard texted Smich, "we go [to] incinerator, cool?" And Smich replied, "Yo I'm down bro." This suggests that the incinerator had some importance to both of them.
- On July 7, 2012, just a few days after Laura Babcock is alleged to have been murdered, Smich wrote rap lyrics about his "380 is no stranger, when I'm angered you're in danger." The jury in this trial cannot speculate on Babcock, but the rap lyrics on their own tie Smich to the same type of gun that was allegedly used to kill Bosma.
- On August 20, 2012, during a text conversation about prepping for their missions, Smich stated that he was going to see Isho the following day. The context suggests that seeing Isho had some relation to the mission prep, and based on other evidence Isho is known to have supplied gun(s) and ammo in this case.
- On September 5, 2012, Millard texted Smich about getting together and moving the BBQ back into the barn. Later that evening, they took a video of the incinerator hitched up to the Yukon in the Millardair hangar. With no questions from Smich about moving the BBQ together, one might speculate that they had recently used it for something (sinister or not). At the very least, it shows that Smich had a prior association with the incinerator, and that he knew very well what "BBQ" meant.
- On September 12, Millard and Isho discussed a 380 gun and Isho said it was possible he could get it by the weekend. This is 7 months after DM had already acquired a 380 from Isho. Then on September 22, Millard sent Noudga a photo (different from the February 2014 photo) of a gun resembling a Walther PPK. This is strong evidence of a second gun IMO.
This is but
some of the evidence tying Smich to the murder tools (incinerator, gun, ammo, etc.) in this case. His prior association with these things, combined with the very close, intimate and trusting relationship between him and Millard, makes me
pretty sure that he must have had some involvement in planning the murder of May 6, 2013. Now add in the following:
- His love of "search and destroy"
- His photos of the sausages and fireside furniture
- His violent messages to Millard a few weeks before Bosma ("they should have called me MERK...no fun and games til someone's hurt")
- His references to "fireworks" in the days before Bosma's murder
At this point, I'm almost convinced that he's aware of a murder about to take place. Now add in:
- His apparent willingness to help clean up after the murder
- His celebratory mood in the truck with Meneses
- His never going to the police
- His never showing any sign of panic until he knew the police were onto him
- His own testimony, which given the timing could have been formulated to fit the evidence, yet it still contains many holes and directly contradicts several other witnesses' testimony, many of whom did not have an incentive to lie about those facts in this case.
My personal verdict? Smich is guilty as charged.