Timothy Bosma memorial held as murder suspect’s lawyer urges against speculation

The sordid details of an investigation into the death of Tim Bosma will be set aside for one day on Wednesday as the public gathers to remember the Ontario man who was found dead after taking two men out on a test drive two weeks ago.

The one identified suspect in Bosma’s death remains behind bars and, as police dig into several investigations with possible connections, his lawyer is urging the public not to delve into speculation.

The investigation into suspect Dellen Millard will take a back seat on Wednesday to Timothy Bosma, the devoted family man who was killed after leaving home with two men more than two weeks ago.

A public funeral service is being held late Wednesday morning near the Ancaster, Ont., community where the 32-year-old Bosma and his wife Sharlene were building their life together.

The Hamilton Spectator reports the service will be held at a local banquet hall, where the Bosmas held their wedding only three years ago. Some 1,400 people were expected to attend the service and remember the father of a two-year-old daughter, who has been described as a loving family man.

[ Related: Memorial service for Ontario man slain after test drive ]

Bosma has been remembered and memorialized by family and friends since the tragic end to his life. But much of the public’s attention has turned to the suspect in the case. Millard has been charged with first-degree murder as well as forcible confinement and theft of a vehicle.

Police are searching for two other suspects, and allege Bosma was killed after taking two men out to test drive his truck on May 6. Police say a video suggests they were followed by another vehicle.

Bosma's charred remains were found on a farm belonging to Millard a week later. Since that time, Toronto police have reconsidered two other cases connected to Bosma – the disappearance of Laura Babcock and the suicide of his father Wayne Millard.

An ex-boyfriend has told media that Babcock disappeared last summer after making 13 calls to Millard. A police investigation into her death found nothing suspicious, but police re-opened the case after Millard was identified as a murder suspect.

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CBC News reported over the weekend that a second set of remains may have been discovered on Bosma's property. But by Tuesday, Hamilton police were clarifying that only Bosma's remains had been discovered.

Millard's lawyer, Deepak Paradkar, has also said his client was previously cleared in the death of his father, who was found shot late last year. Paradkar said police had concluded the death was suicide.

Paradkar told the Canadian Press that leaked details of these other investigations could threaten his client’s ability to receive a fair trial.

“I hope it doesn't taint the jury pool because people are watching this carefully and we just want open-minded people, people who are liberal in their thinking and step back and think, 'Let's not rush to judgment in this, let's look at this fact by fact,'" he told the news service.

"Clearly if somebody is leaking little bits of information... trying to implicate my client, then obviously it's not fair to my client."

The Toronto Star, meantime, reports that Babcock’s family is relieved that an investigation into her disappearance has been re-opened.

Meantime, Bosma’s family will focus on celebrating his life today. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.

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