If Tim Bosma had not been cruelly murdered by Dellen Millard and Mark Smich, Laura Babcock’s parents would probably still be wondering what happened to her. That’s what a Toronto court heard today in the sentencing hearing for the two men convicted of first degree murder twice over.

Today would have been Laura Babcock’s 29th birthday, but she was murdered at the age of 23 by men she thought were her friends. She was especially vulnerable because she needed a place to live and she was in love with Dellen Millard. The crown says she shudders to think of Babcock waiting excitedly for Millard to pick her up from Kipling station not knowing she was about to be killed.

Crown Jill Cameron argued that Millard and Smich should get consecutive life sentences, with no chance of parole for 50 years. She pointed to one text message in particular that proves Millard and Smich spent a long time planning. “The BBQ is the final piece of the 3500 puzzle,” Millard texted Smich.

When the large animal incinerator he ordered arrived it was five days after Laura Babcock was killed. Smich seemed excited to murder again, the crown said. His response was, “I like BBQ. I like 3500.”

That means they were already planning to find a Dodge 3500, kill the owner and take his truck, 10 months before Tim Bosma was killed, the crown said.

Dellen Millard was no longer representing himself, he brought back Ravin Pillay, his lawyer from the Bosma trial, who argued that Millard still had a chance at redemption. “Do we take away the light at the end of the tunnel?” Pillay asked.

“You’ve got a problem,” Justice Code says. “This character looks very dangerous” he said he may never have seen such extensive planning for a murder.

Mark Smich’s lawyer also called for concurrent sentences. He said his client was duped into following Millard and never would have been on trial otherwise.

Millard and Smich were offered a chance to say something today and both declined. Court comes back February 26th for the sentencing decision.