Verdict: GUILTY for both Millard and Smich of 1st degree murder

[DMB]

Should we take this as the "big bear" changing some of his testimony?

There is also DM's letters to CN regarding AM's statements to the police. How they had changed to a lot of "I don't know"!

 

[MrsThreadgoode]

MOO ... Of more importance to me than the AM and MH testimony, is the texting between DM and MS, and the 50 minutes DM and MS spent together on May 10, shortly before DM's arrest:

Paraphrasing the texts:

DM to MS: Retooled for stormy weather, all clear (after dropping the toolbox off to MH)

MS to DM: Check Squishy soon, Ima link him today (on May 10, before DM and MS spent those 50 minutes together)

The text where MS asks AM to bring the "other thing"

I don't for one single second believe that there is any indication of MS being "framed" by any individual and/or combination of DM/MH/AM in order to make sure that MS was "stuck" with the gun(s).

Combining the text messages above plus 50 minutes of further discussion and planning, beyond any reasonable doubt IMO, MS was well aware that passing the gun(s) off to Squishy was going to eventually be his responsibility.

Your thoughts? What am I missing here, regarding the (extremely slim IMO) possibility that MS was possibly framed?

As always, MHO


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[Lexiintoronto]

I love this family.

SB & family while waiting for verdict.




ETA: Photograph is by Hamilton Spectator photographer John Rennison https://twitter.com/JLRenn/status/743191121409474560
John tweeted that Sharon won.

 

[MrsThreadgoode]

I love this family.

[video=twitter;743191121409474560]https://twitter.com/JLRenn/status/743191121409474560[/video]

Ohhhhh, me too!!! There aren't enough adequate words for me to properly express the depth of admiration I feel for them. Such remarkable human beings in every respect.

Thank you for posting this ... A joy to see!

ETA: I loved reading this about the Bosmas in Clairmont's column last night:

"In most murder cases, the victim's family never speaks to the defence counsel.

At this trial, the Bosmas sometimes shared cake and other treats with the defence lawyers. Once, all the lawyers backed a request from the family to start court a little later one day so Tim's parents could attend a Grandparents Day at his daughter's daycare. (The judge denied the request.)"

Extraordinary ...

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6...by-20-more-things-the-bosma-jury-was-never-t/



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[mimimic]

I, overall, wanted to believe MH was telling the truth but his story keeps him and AM too clean for me to believe. Yes, why was MH adamant AM told him Dellen wanted the stuff to go to MS? It's hearsay, no? Doesn't this msg come via MS, give me all the drugs and the thing MH has. To me, I don't see a framing aspect. AM says he packed the bag himself. I believe that to be true. And so, you're right, now we know there was more in that bag. If AM and MH discuss what's in the bag, then they know the narcotics (or at least not all of them) aren't in the the toolbox. What is? It protects MH to say the bag of weed is intact already when AM receives it and the two are ignorant as to the contents, preserving the story that narcs are in the toolbox and not a gun.

But where are the lies? Did AM truly not tell this to MH.

We heard parts of testimony from all 3 sides today, it wasn't solely questioning from TD, though that's the part that talked about the pact. We did not hear about the lies that were told and that's the most important part IMO.

I'm pretty sure it was MH that said that line.

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So AM told him, did he? hmm maybe that is the lie. To say MS asked for it. SO how would a pact about dumping it on MS frame/or hurt MS? or DM for that matter?The pact can't be about dumping it quickly, it doesn't feel like it makes sense.

 

[Bellers]

Why would CN's mom clean her room. CN was an adult and old enough to clean it herself.

One thing I did notice in CN's room was that the trashcan was empty in the midst of that mess.

Well yeah, cause the garbage was all over the floor, the desk, the bed, the dresser...

 

[brightii]

I love this family.

SB & family while waiting for verdict.

I don't know anything about trucks, but I got the shivers when looking at this photo. Is that a black Dodge Ram truck in the background?

All MOO.

 

[palisadesk]

ETA: I see now that bells palsy is temporary and that was you point. Semi-interesting, it can be treated with steroids. I assume not the same type DM was taking.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/script/main/mobileart-emh.asp?articlekey=59395&page=1

Bell's Palsy is usually temporary, but not always. Former Prime Minister Jean Cretien had it and his recovery was incomplete, resulting an a lopsided smile which was the subject of Conservative Party attack ads in the 1993 election. (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Chrétien_attack_ad) which backfired badly and caused a huge voter backlash against the then-incumbent Tories.

I forget who posted originally that they thought of Bell's Palsy when they saw DM' mugshot and sometimes in his appearance in court. i had the same impression, though it was just a fleeting hunch, not a serious one (like my suspicion of FAS). A propos of FAS, the facial characteristics, which do not necessarily appear at all, are less obvious in adulthood but do not fade away. The FAS-affected person will still have the thinner lip, absent or minimal nasal philtrum, epicanthal folds over the eye, and so on (whether these appear depend on when the mother drank during fetal development. Serious brain damage can occur without any facial signs appearing). Although these characteristics don't disappear, as the person matures they are less obvious, but are clearly present if a trained observer is looking.

The fact is many persistent criminal types are very damaged people. I say this not to be "sympathetic" but merely to be realistic. A number have serious limitations that may be genetic, or congenital (not the same thing), or the result of traumatic brain injury or something else, but which render them extremely dysfunctional. That does not give them a free pass - we have to protect society from them - however, I prefer that we do this in a relatively humane way (which for the most part, we do). There are some families who are amazingly gifted at raising some seriously damaged children to be productive citizens, within a familial assisted living situation. I'm thinking of my neighbours who adopted two FAS children. But many will end up in the penal system. Not all are necessarily dangerous or violent, but run afoul of the law in other ways.

Here's a paper on the challenges of FAS in the correctional system:

http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/research/forum/e143/e143s-eng.shtml

As the number of individuals with autism continues to increase, dealing appropriately with them in correctional facilities will also be a challenge.

A lot of policies and procedures that are effective (or at least useful) with run-of-the-mill criminal types do not work with those who have specific impairments. I do know there are some moves to respond to these problems in Canadian facilities, the problem (as always) is one of resources and staffing.

NB: I don't know if either accused in this case would meet criteria for any neurological disorder, but I do wonder about DM; MS, not so much except that his history of juvenile crime and school difficulty may be an indicator of LD.

 

[Jug Up]

Thanks again to everyone once again for all the tweeting. You have done an amazing job this entire case, keeping us up to date.

On a related note, I remember reading earlier today in this thread about someone getting text updates, thinking there might be a verdict. I can't seem to find The Spec text alerts (can't really be watching Twitter at work). Just want to make sure I know if a verdict is reached while I am not on WS.

Any recommendations on a text or email alert re: this case? Thanks in advance!

 

[mimimic]

MOO ... Of more importance to me than the AM and MH testimony, is the texting between DM and MS, and the 50 minutes DM and MS spent together on May 10, shortly before DM's arrest:

Paraphrasing the texts:

DM to MS: Retooled for stormy weather, all clear (after dropping the toolbox off to MH)

MS to DM: Check Squishy soon, Ima link him today (on May 10, before DM and MS spent those 50 minutes together)

The text where MS asks AM to bring the "other thing"

I don't for one single second believe that there is any indication of MS being "framed" by any individual and/or combination of DM/MH/AM in order to make sure that MS was "stuck" with the gun(s).

Combining the text messages above plus 50 minutes of further discussion and planning, beyond any reasonable doubt IMO, MS was well aware that passing the gun(s) off to Squishy was going to eventually be his responsibility.

Your thoughts? What am I missing here, regarding the (extremely slim IMO) possibility that MS was possibly framed?

As always, MHO


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aaah i could be wrong, but, the light seems to have come on for me. DM gun to MH for safe keeping for later and the dirty girl back to squishy!! likely 10 of you already said this months ago at the time of the testimony and i am just late with it as usual.

 

[NoodlesMcgee]

Given they didn't play the 'lies were told' part today and DM lawyer immediate objection when it happened, I suspect it was argued out by DM lawyers and wasn't supposed to be said.

 

[palisadesk]

I just have to say this....

I don't think MB had any delusions as to the path her son had taken.

I believe you're almost certainly correct. Mainly because I'm sure, just based on statistical probability, that DM began to show troublesome signs early on, and that his parents, while they may not have been as alert to deviance in him due to his being an only child, would have known something was wrong. We have heard nothing whatever about his childhood except for the dog-biscuit story and the celebration of his Guinnes Book of Records flight. We don't know what steps his parents took to get him help, what they may have done to move him along in a positive trajectory - we just don't know anything.

That makes me wary of blaming anyone or being too judgmental.

I have dealt professionally with parents of some very deviant children and several have admitted to being very afraid of their own son (it was always a boy that inspired this fear; out-of-control girls were up to other stuff). One expressed the fear that her nine-year-old would murder her. She locked him out of her room at night. Publicly she was nurturing and supportive etc. etc. and tried to get services for the kid.

We don't know what kind of parent MB (or WM) was, or what obstacles they faced with their only child. It may be a much rougher road than any of us could imagine.

But it certainly occurred to me that MB might well be afraid of DM, even though she probably did not think he was capable of murder. She could have seen him as a ticking time bomb. We are probably never going to know, either. But I'll bet police know a great deal more about this than we do.

 

[CJPRINCESS]

I don't know anything about trucks, but I got the shivers when looking at this photo. Is that a black Dodge Ram truck in the background?

All MOO.

Yes that is a Ram in the back ground.

 

[CJPRINCESS]

BD testified about two guns and therefore the jury can consider it as direct evidence in my opinion.

All MOO.

I thought the judge told the jury NOT to consider that there was two guns?

 

[brightii]

I thought the judge told the jury NOT to consider that there was two guns?

Perhaps, but he also told them that they should consider all the witness testimony as evidence and BD did testify about there being two guns. Of course they have to decide if BD is a credible and reliable witness as well when considering his information. I don't see why he would lie as he was MS's close friend and they hung around daily.

All MOO.

 

[brightii]

Yes that is a Ram in the back ground.

What are the odds? I never pay attention to trucks but it truly gave me shivers when I saw that photo. It's like Tim and reminders of him are all around his family.

All MOO.

 

[DMB]

Who said this? Interesting... I thought they were found in CN bedroom

Sorry canadiangirl, I have looked for the past hour for where I read/heard this and have come up with nothing. Anybody else see/hear this please help me out as I'm afraid I'm now dreaming about this trial!

 

[Ashley96]

Apparently One inmate calling another goofy or a goof is about the worst thing you call call someone in custody (according to someone on twitter)....Bromance is definitely over...

Lisa Hepfner ‏@HefCHCHNews 18m18 minutes ago
@hammyahol @TinTincognito @CHCHNews Millard saw Smich in a cell last week & yelled, if I'm Walt Disney, you are F'ing Goofy

 

[CJPRINCESS]

Perhaps, but he also told them that they should consider all the witness testimony as evidence and BD did testify about there being two guns. Of course they have to decide if BD is a credible and reliable witness as well when considering his information. I don't see why he would lie as he was MS's close friend and they hung around daily.

All MOO.

But he also testified that he had never seen a gun in MS possession. So he can't really confirm this.

He also testified that he was afraid of MS (before and after TB murder) but hung around him daily anyways. Who does that?

He also testified that his mind was hazy from drugs, so things may not have been said they way he testified to.

I wish Daly was a more credible witness because his testimony could have been very damning. FWIW, I hope the Jurors see the opposite of what I do of Daly.

 

[Bellers]

I don't know anything about trucks, but I got the shivers when looking at this photo. Is that a black Dodge Ram truck in the background?

All MOO.

Millard's lawyers would have you believe that's an impossible coincidence.