A team of OPP specialists made their way to Dellen Millard’s farm south of Kitchener as the investigation into the death of Laura Babcock continued.
The OPP team specializes in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response. They arrived at the farm around 9 a.m. Friday.
Sgt. Mesach Parsons, leader of the 11-person team, says the increased presence is due to 54 barrels which were found inside the barn.
Through Friday morning, crews including firefighters from Ayr worked to remove the barrels from the barn.
According to Parsons, the barrels were various sizes between five and 45 gallons. Some were made of metal and others of plastic.
“Some are empty and some are full, and others are in-between,” Parsons told reporters.
Babcock was last seen in July 2012 in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood. Police have said she had an unusual romantic relationship with Millard, and phone records show that the two were in touch after Babcock’s disappearance.
Police originally searched the farm, located south of Kitchener on Roseville Road, in early June in connection with Babcock’s disappearance but left empty-handed.
Officers from Toronto and Waterloo Region returned on Monday, and have been coming through the property all week long, focusing on various areas inside the barn.
Several items were covered in plastic and removed from the scene, including one that appeared to be a large, rusted piece of farm equipment – the property was used for pig farming prior to Millard’s purchase of it in 2011 – and officers also spent considerable time sifting through mounds of straw.
Parsons said Toronto Police contacted the OPP Thursday for assistance with the barrels, including identifying what they contain.
“They don’t know what’s in the drums and they want to move them out,” he said.
Millard, 28, and the farm property first came to police attention in late May, when the burnt remains of Tim Bosma were found on the property.
Bosma, an Ancaster resident, never returned home after leaving to accompany two men on a test-drive of a vehicle he was selling.
Millard and Mark Smich are charged with first-degree murder in Bosma’s death.
Although the farm was thoroughly searched twice in the past, defence lawyer Craig Parry says it’s not unusual to see police pay attention to different areas of the property upon return visits.
“In June, they may not have had any information that caused them to believe these barrels had any significance to any investigation,” he said.
Both Millard and Smich made brief court appearances Thursday in Hamilton, with future court dates set for Oct. 22.
