Canada - Laura Babcock, 23, Toronto, 26 June 2012

[Wendy101]

That is what I was led to believe, and if this was the case when she originally went missing, there would be no reason for TPS to be concerned.

I agree. They did step up their action once they realized Dellen was charge with murder... Only then would they recall her phone record that shows the contact.

 

[THXGuru]

I agree. They did step up their action once they realized Dellen was charge with murder... Only then would they recall her phone record that shows the contact.

And not only that, they used the homicide squad to help look for her....but people need to remember there would be no evidence to even suggest their use. I commend TPS for doing what they are doing.

They certainly confirmed she is not buried at the Millard farm...well done if you ask me.

 

[Wendy101]

Actually her family have been involved from the beginning in trying to find Laura. They have not been as upfront as the boyfriend but have been involved nonetheless. The parents were in contact with the original investigator who stopped giving them updates when he got a promotion.

I personally have a different impression of the parents just from the statements which were to the media. Also Laura own Aunt and Uncle didn't even know she was missing, so shows me the parents weren't too concerned..IMO..
They may me now that Dellen Mellard is charged with murder, but prior to that TPS nor the parents had a reason to be concerned.

 

[Alethea Dice]

I read it as DM would pick up LB for parties or to hang out. The thing about her new name was like an 'aside'.

Oh, I think you're right. Sorry. I had remembered the "party" part and saw it mentioned in that article while I was searching for something else.

 

[bessie]

It's at the very end - around 8:14. She says something about just wanting to be clear, it's hard to hear. Then the reporter says "Somebody had contact with her after the phone record contact, but you just don't want to elaborate right now, right? So that's correct?" He says "I want to...I don't want to elaborate at this point, okay?" She says "But you confirm that somebody else did have contact with her after that?" And he says "Yes". The video ends.

here, try at the end of this one http://www.chch.com/toronto-police-to-speak-on-babcock-disappearance/

Thanks for the info. I had reviewed it again earlier, and this time I was able to catch the last question, just barely. That "yes" was very tentative. I honestly wonder if he heard the question properly. But here nor there. It's on the record now.

So at this time we only know she had "contact" with another person, or persons, after the last phone call to DM's number. We do not know what form of contact. Now let's see if the plea for someone to come forward will yield a response. :crossfingers:

 

[Wondergirl]

Was Laura's dog found, if so, where?

 

[THXGuru]

Was Laura's dog found, if so, where?

The dog was returned home by LB. She then went missing after that.

 

[SteveP]

Actually her family have been involved from the beginning in trying to find Laura. They have not been as upfront as the boyfriend but have been involved nonetheless. The parents were in contact with the original investigator who stopped giving them updates when he got a promotion.

Do you have a link for this info?

This is entirely my opinion, but just from the various reports that I have pieced together, I get the sense that her parents were probably embarrassed and a bit ashamed of her lifestyle, and while they may have made some calls and looked for her, I am not sure they applied much pressure on LE to do so. And even now I don't sense that they are applying much pressure on LE, as mom at least publicly says she thinks she is alive and just not ready to come home. It seems it was the ex-bf who did any pushing to get LE involved, and as an ex-bf, LE was correct in telling him he had no legal right to know where she was. And I am not judging the parents, but if my child was missing, SOMEBODY in LE would be getting a phone call from me regularly asking for updates. Surely if a particular officer got promoted, his caseload would have been assigned to someone else. JMO

 

[puppyraiser]

And not only that, they used the homicide squad to help look for her....but people need to remember there would be no evidence to even suggest their use. I commend TPS for doing what they are doing.

They certainly confirmed she is not buried at the Millard farm...well done if you ask me.

IMO they confirmed that her body was not in any one of the three holes they dug on DM's property. Considering the area appeared as though the ground had been disturbed at some point by the barren patches of dirt on the laneway, her body could have been buried in a place they didn't dig. Or it could have ended up in the swampy area which had recently been worked on........... or the incinerator (which just happened to be purchased around the time she went missing and a need for it can't really be explained to date) could have been used to dispose of remains. DM may be innocent, LB could be alive or may have died from an OD or been murdered by someone else but TPS's minimal search of DM's property didn't rule anything out. JMO

That press conference left way more questions than it answered. IMO, MOO

 

[THXGuru]

Do you have a link for this info?

This is entirely my opinion, but just from the various reports that I have pieced together, I get the sense that her parents were probably embarrassed and a bit ashamed of her lifestyle, and while they may have made some calls and looked for her, I am not sure they applied much pressure to LE to do so. And even now I don't sense that they are applying much pressure on LE, as mom at least publicly says she thinks she is alive and just not ready to come home. It seems it was the ex-bf who any pushing to get LE involved. And I am not judging the parents, but if my child was missing, SOMEBODY in LE would be getting a phone call from me regularly asking for updates. Surely if a particular officer got promoted, his caseload would have been assigned to someone else.

Well said, and if this was the case, TPS are not going to be all concerned about pushing for a search. And lets not forget the sex worker thing, when you are involved in that, the chances are, she does not want to be found.

 

[THXGuru]

IMO they confirmed that her body was not in any one of the three holes they dug on DM's property. Considering the area appeared as though the ground had been disturbed at some point by the barren patches of dirt on the laneway, her body could have been buried in a place they didn't dig. Or it could have ended up in the swampy area which had recently been worked on........... or the incinerator (which just happened to be purchased around the time she went missing and a need for it can't really be explained to date) could have been used to dispose of remains. DM may be innocent, LB could be alive or may have died from an OD or been murdered by someone else but TPS's minimal search of DM's property didn't rule anything out. JMO

That press conference left way more questions than it answered. IMO, MOO

<modsnip> TPS were acting on tip, that is why they searched farm.

That being said, TPS confirmed that the body was not on the property. Well done to TPS if you ask me.

 

[Alethea Dice]

At the same link, the video of Sue Sgambati talks about the contact after DM as well. That's where I heard the "whether BBM or text". Maybe she was the reporter who asked the question.

http://london.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.1310377

 

[Wondergirl]

Laura is a University of Toronto graduate. Obviously something went astray here.

What exactly is an "internet escort"?

 

[Alethea Dice]

A short video of LB's mom.

http://www.citynews.ca/2013/06/04/mother-encouraged-search-for-laura-babcock-continuing/

 

[Yankee42]

Laura is a University of Toronto graduate. Obviously something went astray here.

What exactly is an "internet escort"?

She would advertise sexual services on web pages such as Backpage or Now. Remember Craigslist?

 

[Annie1004]

Laura is a University of Toronto graduate. Obviously something went astray here.

What exactly is an "internet escort"?

I think they meant she was an escort who sold her wares via the Internet for "meet ups." For someone from an apparently upright family who graduated from University, something did happen somewhere. Her ex boyfriend seems like a decent chap. I am surprised no one on WS has dug anything up proving LB was a so-called "escort." We saw the risque ads for several young ladies who disappeared from Colorado last fall, thanks to WS members. In any event, the presser disclosing LB's past was in poor taste, IMHO.

 

[Wondergirl]

Are we sure that she wasn't simply doing webcam shows, as opposed to turning tricks?

 

[Yankee42]

Are we sure that she wasn't simply doing webcam shows, as opposed to turning tricks?

An escort is someone who sees people in the flesh. Just my take on things though.

 

[THXGuru]

In any event, the presser disclosing LB's past was in poor taste, IMHO.

Absolutely not, TPS revealed some facts. Some want to believe that DM murdered a poor innocent girl and buried her on his farm....but the facts show that we have an educated girl, with a poor family, and a girl who chose to become an escort....How else should TPS give the info?

 

[bessie]

It seems to me that TPS acted like any other metropolitan police department under similar circumstances. LE walks a fine line when an able adult goes missing with no sign of foul play, because adults have the right to disappear without LE snooping around behind them. Privacy issues can place limitations on their work. Search warrants, for instance, are difficult to obtain without probable cause. (To my knowledge, Canada doesn't differ very much from the U.S. in that respect.) When the person lives a transient lifestyle and/or is a sex trade worker, you can forget it. Little to nothing will be done to locate him/her unless a trail of blood is left behind, or evidence the missing person absconded after committing a crime. But because no one's seen or heard from a person? No. Those files get shoved to the bottom of the stack. That's a sad fact of life, but it is what it is around the world, not only in Toronto. MOO