Bosma Day 28

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Today the jury in the Tim Bosma trial heard that Dellen Millard’s mechanic thought his boss was a rich guy. Shane Schlatman was the only witness today, even though he already spent hours on the stand when he was last in court 10 days ago.

We’ve already heard that Schlatman hasn’t spoken to his father in law since Millard’s arrest and although it hasn’t been spelled out, the insinuation is that there was anger after the father in law, Arthur Jennings, called Crimestoppers about the black truck he saw in the Millard hangar and found out the VIN number matched Tim Bosma’s truck.

Schlatman testified that he was friendly with his boss, Dellen Millard, although they didn’t socialize together. He was usually paid on time and the cheques never bounced. They talked by text message daily and the jury saw some of those text messages. April 30, 2013, less than a week before Tim Bosma went missing after taking two men to test drive his diesel pickup, Millard asked Schlatman to research the going rate for a used fuel-powered truck like his.

Schlatman told police he helped Millard source an animal incinerator and told them it was for a business, cremating people’s pets. Millard’s veterinarian uncle, Robert Burns, testified earlier that he was shocked at the notion and would not have gone into business with his nephew. But under cross examination by Millard’s lawyer, Schlatman said Millard didn’t necessarily say he would partner with his uncle. He wanted to start a pet cremation business and his uncle would be a customer, along with other vet clinics they would take their portable incinerator to solicit.

Millard’s lawyer also asked about a text message on May 9th, in which Millard mentions the Bosma family and the truck and insinuates he is being set up. Schlatman said that came after they looked at a picture of Tim Bosma’s truck and agreed the black truck in the Millard hangar looked the same.

Schlatman is back on the stand for Smich’s lawyer’s cross exam on Monday.