Bosma accused make court appearance

The two men accused of killing Tim Bosma appeared in court Friday. It was their first court date since the Attorney General signed off on a decision to send the case straight to trial.

Dellen Millard and Mark Smich both made brief appearances via video link today. Since the decision to skip a preliminary hearing was made, this appearance got things rolling for the trial.

A date was set for their lawyers to meet with the Justice of the Peace. On September 9th, they’ll discuss issues in the case, whether any pre-trial motions will be made, and look at possible trial dates.

Millard and Smich are charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Ancaster husband and father Tim Bosma. Bosma listed his truck on online classified websites last spring. He disappeared after taking two men out for a test drive. His remains were found at a farm belonging to Dellen Millard. Tim’s widow, Sharlene, and her family were in the courtroom today. It’s rare for a case to go directly to trial. One of the reasons it’s done is to protect the victim’s family from the pain of a lengthy court process.

Millard and Smich won’t attend the pre-trial date on September 9th. They’ll be back in court on September 19th, when dates will be set for pre-trial motions, if there are any. The Justice of the Peace will also try to finalize a trial date at that appearance.