The lawyer representing the man accused of killing Tim Bosma says media reports and police statements could threaten his client’s right to a fair trial.
Deepak Paradkar told The Canadian Press that “speculation” surrounding Dellen Millard, who is charged with first-degree murderin Bosma’s death, is damaging to his case.
"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 (to) step back and think: 'Let's not rush to judgment in this, let's look at this fact by fact,"' Paradkar told CP.
"Clearly if somebody is leaking little bits of information... trying to implicate my client, then obviously it's not fair to my client," he said.
Bosma, a 32-year-old husband and father, disappeared from his Ancaster, Ont. home on May 6after taking two strangers on a test drive of a pickup truck he had posted for sale online.
Bosma’s charred remains were later found in the Waterloo area.
Millard, one of two men believed to have last been seen with Bosma, was arrested days after Bosma disappeared. In addition to the first-degree murder charge, Millard is facing charges of forcible confinement and theft over $5,000.
In recent days, police have been searching a Cambridge-area farm owned by Millard as part of their investigation. Officials said Tuesday that the search has ended, but officers remain on the scene.
Last week police seized an incinerator on the property, but investigators have not confirmed if it is connected to Bosma’s death.
Reports circulated over the weekend that more remains were found on the farm over the weekend, but Hamilton police denied those reports Tuesday.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for a memorial service for Bosma, scheduled to take place Wednesday.
The memorial, which is open to the public, will be held at Carmen’s Banquet Centre in Hamilton, Ont. beginning at 11 a.m.
