Laura Babcock: Dellen Millard & Mark Smich charged w/Murder in the First Degree #1

[Variant]

I don't think this means the Coroner's "office" will be removed from cases of suspicious deaths and homicides. The forensic pathologists will be schooled and appointed as "Coroners". What's changing is that the forensic pathologists will do the complete investigation, from attending the crime scene to doing the autopsy to testifying in court. Rather than the Coroner attending the crime scene, the pathologist conducting the autopsy and then the Coroner testifying in court. The Coroner's office should still have a record of an investigation or inquiry if there is one.

http://news.ontario.ca/mcscs/en/2013/08/ontario-strengthening-death-investigation-system.html

JMO

The position and office of Chief Forensic Pathologist has been established to handle the Coroner's role in court on specified cases. I expect and hope that there will be communications between the two offices, but it does essentially allow bypassing of the Coroner to a point that the Coroner could say that his office didn't handle any particular evidence.

 

[Alethea Dice]

I'm worried that Laura was shot since the 3 Matthews were arrested for selling DM a gun sometime between June and July 2012. The time Laura disappeared and was murdered. JMO


http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...e_she_was_reported_missing_police_allege.html

It would be pretty coincidental, wouldn't it? The time they estimate for the gun purchase is from the month before to the month after LB went missing. The date of death was estimated as when the text messages stopped. So did the gun arrive at the same time that LB arrived? Yet they reported the gun was used in WM's death, with no mention of LB. It makes me even more curious about how they determined the gun was bought and sold.

JMO

 

[Alethea Dice]

The position and office of Chief Forensic Pathologist has been established to handle the Coroner's role in court on specified cases. I expect and hope that there will be communications between the two offices, but it does essentially allow bypassing of the Coroner to a point that the Coroner could say that his office didn't handle any particular evidence.

It's very confusing to me. Originally the Coroner's office was against the changes and both offices made recommendations, one of which was to appoint pathologists as coroners.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-coroners-to-retain-control-of-death-investigations-1.1186610

That recommendation was included in the change so I assumed the Coroner's office would still have any records, even though they are not actually doing the investigation.

The new measure won’t take effect until forensic pathologists — who undergo five years of specialty training following medical school — are schooled as coroners.

http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2013/08/07/ontario_forensic_pathologists_get_expanded_role_in_homicide_investigations.html

In any event, now that we have the new Forensic Services and Coroner's Complex (FSCC) and they're all together in one building, hopefully they will work together and keep communications open between them.

Pollanen said the new facility, which will incorporate the Centre of Forensic Sciences, the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, will streamline the way those services handle crime scene investigation and “the search for the truth.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2013/07/11/new_ontario_forensics_facility_brings_crime_under_a_worldclass_spotlight.html

 

[Sillybilly]

Thinking of that shoebox of money and the timeframe ...

20120626 SL got LB a room at the Days Inn at Roncesvalles and Queen; pets were allowed
20120630 LB dropped dog and shoebox at her parents’ home
20120701 LB contacted NM looking for a place to stay; said Lacey had become a burden so taken to parents
20120701 LB made 2 calls to DM (first 1 min, second 21 mins)
20120702 other calls from LB to DM
20120703 Laura Babcock’s last cell phone call to DM. He told SL that LB had been looking for drugs and a place to stay

Can't find the pic online now, but it looked like quite a bit of money. Why couldn't LB afford her own place? Was it not her money to spend? Was it owed to someone? Did she steal it from someone who had lots of cash lying around?

 

[matou]

Ohhhhh good thinking! Taking cash from the cash-man!

 

[cansleuther]

Thinking of that shoebox of money and the timeframe ...

20120626 SL got LB a room at the Days Inn at Roncesvalles and Queen; pets were allowed
20120630 LB dropped dog and shoebox at her parents’ home
20120701 LB contacted NM looking for a place to stay; said Lacey had become a burden so taken to parents
20120701 LB made 2 calls to DM (first 1 min, second 21 mins)
20120702 other calls from LB to DM
20120703 Laura Babcock’s last cell phone call to DM. He told SL that LB had been looking for drugs and a place to stay

Can't find the pic online now, but it looked like quite a bit of money. Why couldn't LB afford her own place? Was it not her money to spend? Was it owed to someone? Did she steal it from someone who had lots of cash lying around?

Is this the picture you were thinking of? It most likely doesn't have anything to do with LB though - it was posted on MWJ's Instagram on October 16, 2013. Was there another picture of a shoebox of cash?

 

[swedie]

It's ironic how some of MWJ's pictures seem connected to this case. The shoebox full of money and the picture of him holding the gun pipe to his eyes while holding a wad of money. LB taking a shoe box full of money to her parent's house just before she disappeared and WM presumably being shot in the eye.

Sillybilly it certainly makes one wonder how closely connected DM and MWJ were. Could that shoebox full of money LB took to her parent's house come from MWJ? Did DM introduce MWJ and LB? Was LB suppose to turn that box of money over to DM? MOO.

 

[cansleuther]

... it certainly makes one wonder how closely connected DM and MWJ were.

Apparently MWJ and DM knew each other via MS's house - MWJ hung out there often, DM hung out there from time to time. It's not mentioned if they ever hung out socially other than at MS's house, but it doesn't sound like they were especially close.

And finally, one last piece of information about how Matthew Ward-Jackson is connected to Dellen Millard. Friends of Iish and Mark Smich tell me that Iish often hung at Smich’s place. They were on good enough terms that Iish would even comment on one of Smich’s sister’s Instagram accounts and interacted on Facebook with Smich’s BFF, Cora. Iish also knew Dellen Millard, who hung out Chez Smich from time to time as well. So, that’s the connection.

http://www.annrbrocklehurst.com/2014/11/matthew-ward-jackson-aka-big-iish-not-guilty-of-coke-trafficking-still-faces-millard-related-weapons-charges.html#comments

 

[Sillybilly]

So which "various different friends" had LB been staying with after moving out of her parents' house "weeks before her disappearance" and prior to SL getting her into the Days Inn on June 26?

from:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...n-s-parents-unfazed-by-millard-link-1.1354137

She had moved out of her parents' house just weeks before vanishing, Lerner said.

"She had been staying with various different friends while she was trying to find more permanent living arrangements," he said.

<bbm>

I'm wondering if DM was one of those "various different friends" that she stayed with and maybe she got ousted from his place prior to June 26 for taking money. Would be interesting to see if she made calls to him in June. An absence of calls in June might mean she was staying with him (i.e. the "new date" she spoke to her uncle about in June).

 

[Sillybilly]

Although SL says she moved out weeks ago, in an old timeline I have February:

20120100 LB and SL ended their romantic relationship. Around this time LB started hanging around DM

20120200 LB moved out of her parents home. SL says LB was dealing with drug and mental health issues

I don't have the MSM resources for the above entries because I don't include them in a timeline; I just check them at the time I'm entering them.

 

[Sillybilly]

Found it:

Mr. Lerner and Ms. Babcock ended their romantic attachment in January, 2012, but the two remained close friends.

A month later, Ms. Babcock moved out of her parents&#8217; house. She was going through some drug and mental-health issues, Mr. Lerner said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...en-millard-and-missing-woman/article12015795/

 

[cansleuther]

This article says that LB broke up with SL in December and moved out of her parents house to live with DA in his father's basement in January 2012.

After Christmas, Babcock went to a friend&#8217;s party on the lakeshore in Etobicoke. There, David Austerweil noticed her from across the room.
Within weeks they were dating and Babcock quickly moved in with him. In many ways, Austerweil was the opposite of Lerner: he was unemployed, doing drugs and living in his father&#8217;s basement.

 

[Sillybilly]

Presumably LB and DA broke up by March:

from:
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...ck_leaves_lingering_questions_for_police.html

But the night deteriorated into a screaming match between Austerweil and Babcock. A month later, Babcock went to police. In March 2012, Austerweil was charged with assaulting her, theft under $5,000 (what he owed for the vet bill) and sexually assaulting her friend.

 

[Carli]

I understand that the "Days Inn" at Ronscevalles and Queen used to be known as the "Edgewater". May also seems to be known as a Howard Johnsons. Is anyone familiar with it? Is it a good hotel?

Not exactly an upscale area, I gather..

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/10/28/15869671.html

 

[Variant]

I understand that the "Days Inn" at Ronscevalles and Queen used to be known as the "Edgewater". May also seems to be known as a Howard Johnsons. Is anyone familiar with it? Is it a good hotel?

Not exactly an upscale area, I gather..

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/10/28/15869671.html

The linked article refers to the Parkdale of almost 20 years ago.

West Parkdale is now trendy, where people with Five Star ovens live. Nothing like Downtown Eastside Vancouver.

 

[Carli]

The linked article refers to the Parkdale of almost 20 years ago.

West Parkdale is now trendy, where people with Five Star ovens live. Nothing like Downtown Eastside Vancouver.

So the "Days Inn" / "Howard Johnsons" at 14 Ronscevalles is a trendy hotel, then?

 

[Variant]

So the "Days Inn" / "Howard Johnsons" at 14 Ronscevalles is a trendy hotel, then?

Of course not; it is a budget hotel that caters largely to individuals and families who have travelled to St. Joseph's hospital, next door. Reviews will show appreciation of the low cost by those visiting the hospital, if not by those expecting more than a budget experience.

I drove cab when I was a student. Even in the bad old days of Parkdale it was a relatively "good" hotel. The "bad" hotels were down on Lakeshore, and have now been replaced by expensive condos.

 

[Carli]

Of course not; it is a budget hotel that caters largely to individuals and families who have travelled to St. Joseph's hospital, next door. Reviews will show appreciation of the low cost by those visiting the hospital, if not by those expecting more than a budget experience.

I drove cab when I was a student. Even in the bad old days of Parkdale it was a relatively "good" hotel. The "bad" hotels were down on Lakeshore, and have now been replaced by expensive condos.

Do we know if SL select this accomodation or if it was LB's choice? In either case, why? Was she receiving outpatient care at the hospital?

http://www.stjoe.on.ca/programs/mental/community.php

It looks like there's at least one other rehab centre located quite close by that might appear to be of interest to a young woman seeking help. MOO

http://www.wholenessandgrowth.ca/#/location

 

[Carli]

The linked article refers to the Parkdale of almost 20 years ago.

West Parkdale is now trendy, where people with Five Star ovens live. Nothing like Downtown Eastside Vancouver.

I guess the housing crunch must be awful in Toronto these days if the up and comers are relocating to be next door to the city's largest transit yard car house. Maybe it's the MacDonalds on the street corner that is the attraction? Just kiddin'.

(BTW, and only because it's been mentioned before, it's gratifying in a somewhat spooky kind of way to again note the interest in building a profile on some posters based on earlier references saved from their comments. I can't fully understand what is to be gained by such an exercise but then again, as they say, different strokes for different folks, et al. MOO. IMHO. etc. )

 

[Sillybilly]

Is this the picture you were thinking of? It most likely doesn't have anything to do with LB though - it was posted on MWJ's Instagram on October 16, 2013. Was there another picture of a shoebox of cash?

Thanks cansleuther ... that was the pic I was referring to, so I had gotten it mixed up with the one LB left at her parents' place.