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Tim Bosma Murder Trial: Dellen Millard And Mark Smich Found Guilty Of First-Degree Murder

By Jaimie Marshall
Published on: 10:50 PST, Jun 17, 2016

Verdicts were reached in the Tim Bosma murder trial today, with both Dellen Millard and Mark Smich being found guilty of first-degree murder. Bosma’s family cheered and cried as the verdicts were handed down after the jury spent five days deliberating the fate of Millard and Smich. The duo responded to a Kijiji ad that Bosma and his wife Sharlene had placed to sell their Dodge Power Ram truck, like the one pictured above, which had been sitting for several months.

On May 6, 2013, worried that the truck might be stolen, Bosma’s wife encouraged him to go with the two young men while they test drove the truck. Despite them showing up more than 90 minutes late, Bosma still agreed to take them out because he was anxious to sell the truck. When he didn’t return home after a couple hours, his wife and their friend took turns driving around trying to find the truck. Once police were called, a major search was underway trying to find the truck, Bosma, and the two men he was last seen with.

The search involved more than 150 police officers, but no trace was found of Tim Bosma until weeks later when his body was found “burned beyond recognition.” The truck was eventually found at the home of Millard’s mother with the seats and cushions ripped out.

One thing that isn’t in question is that Dellen Millard did not need to steal the truck, and it appears to have been done simply for a thrill. Millard is the heir to an aviation dynasty and grew up in a life of privilege and wealth. Parties, cars, and drugs were all regular occurrences in Millard’s past, with friends often tagging along to enjoy the benefits of a wealthy friend. Smich, on the other hand, came from a lower income family, smoked marijuana regularly, and played video games with Millard.

While the Crown argued that it did not matter which one of the two actually pulled the trigger, the defense strategy for both men was to essentially finger-point at the other as the “guilty” one. The jury apparently agreed, finding them both guilty of first-degree premeditated murder.

Tim Bosma’s murder is not the only death that Millard and Smich have been charged with. The duo will go on trial in 2017 for the murder of Laura Babcock, a 23-year-old woman who was in a relationship with Dellen Millard. Babcock disappeared in the summer of 2012 and her body has never been found. In addition, Millard has been charged in the November 2012 death of his father Wayne Millard, which had originally been classified as a suicide.

Sentencing took place almost immediately after the Bosma family declined to give victim impact statements with the district attorney, saying that they would save their statements for parole hearings. The pair were both sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. Bosma’s widow spoke outside the courtroom after the sentencing, saying that while Millard and Smich have now been sentenced to life in prison, “ours began over three years ago when they murdered Tim.”

The trial had very emotional moments, particularly when Bosma’s widow took the stand at the beginning of the trial. The couple had a 2-year-old daughter at the time of his death and they had been getting ready to try for a second one. Despite how hard it was to hear the details of her husband’s death, Sharlene sat through the entire trial, along with Bosma’s family and friends.

The family still has to sit through the trial of Millard’s ex-girlfriend Christina Noudga, who has been charged as an accessory after the fact. Noudga testified in Millard and Smich’s trial that she had wiped down the trailer that carried Bosma’s truck while Millard’s mother gave her instruction on what to do. She also testified that she helped moved the incinerator that burned Bosma’s remains. Her trial is expected to begin in November.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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