Smiles and tears
Two men found guilty of first-degree murder in killing of Tim Bosma
Smiles and tears came over the faces of Tim Bosma’s family and friends while a celebration erupted outside the courthouse after a jury found two Ontario men guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of the Hamilton man who vanished three years ago after leaving home with two strangers on a test drive he was trying to sell online.
Gasps of relief rang out in the Hamilton courtroom Friday as Justice Andrew Goodman read the verdict against Dellen Millard, 30, of Toronto, and Mark Smich, 28, of Oakville, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Bosma’s family members, including his widow, Sharlene Bosma, gathered outside to a raucous crowd of friends, strangers and a deluge of media and blasted her husband’s killers
“For over three years we have waited for justice for Tim,” she said. “For three years we have been in and out of this courthouse to look at and breathe in the same space with the utter depths of depravity in our society. We have had to endure being near the two men that walked down my driveway that took away the bright life that is Tim.”
The jury deliberated for five days before coming to a decision Friday afternoon.
The conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years, which means Millard and Smich won’t be eligible for parole before 2038 after being credited for time already spent in custody. Both men declined to comment when given the chance to speak to the court.
Bosma’s disappearance on May 6, 2013 made headlines across Canada and sparked a massive week-long search that saw more than 100 police officers scouring Millard’s properties in the Waterloo, Ont., region.
Millard, the heir to an aviation empire, was arrested before Bosma’s charred remains were found. Smich was arrested more than a week later, just hours before a memorial service that saw hundreds pay tribute to the Hamilton man.