Joshua Joseph Boden is a former Canadian footballwide receiver in the Canadian Football League. His career came to an end as the result of several years of criminal activity, including sexual assault, many under the alias Mike Boden. On November 5, 2018, Boden was charged with second-degree murder after the 2009 killing of Kimberly Hallgarth.
In 2005, Boden attended the BC Lions training camp. In a preseason game against the Calgary Stampeders, he scored a 14-yard touchdown. Boden was officially signed as a free agent by B.C. in May 2006, but as a member of the Territorial Protected List. In 2006, he attended training camp again and made the teams as a member of the Developmental Roster. In 2007, Boden made the teams roster as a backup wide receiver. During a game on September 29, 2007, he caught his first CFL pass and finished the game with 3 catches for 83 yards. Boden was released by the Lions following being charged with domestic assault and robbery in April 2008. The charges were dropped on August 14, 2008, and Boden stated his intention to resume his football career. BC Lions general manager Wally Buono stated he did not intend to re-sign him. In two seasons with the Lions he caught 14 passes for 237 yards.
Three months after being released by the Lions he formally signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on September 24, 2008, in time for a September 27 game against the Lions at BC Place. Nevertheless, he never played a regular season game for the Ti-Cats. After he was cut, GM Bob O'Billovich said Boden was cut because Chris Bauman's post-concussion problems had cleared.
Criminal history
Joshua Boden goes by the alias Mike Boden and has an extensive criminal history of violence, sexual assault, and involvement with prostitutes.
2008
Joshua Boden was charged with assault, theft, and mischief in April 2008 in connection with a complaint laid by former girlfriend Kimberly Lynn Hallgarth, age 33. Hallgarth changed her story on the witness stand in August 2008 and charges were dropped. The charges resulted in Boden's dismissal from the BC Lions. On October 12, 2008, Boden was charged with four firearms offences.
2009
On or about March 15, 2009, Kim Hallgarth was found brutally murdered at her 6776 Colborne Avenue, Burnaby, BC residence. Boden was a "person of interest" in the Hallgarth investigation. Karen Boden, Josh's mother, said that her son had always blamed Hallgarth for "ruining" his football career. It was reported that Kimberly Hallgarth owned a nail salon but also worked as a prostitute. It has been noted that Boden's mother, Karen, was placed in a safe house to hide from her son and has altered her appearance to be not recognized by the son she now fears. On Monday September 7, 2009, Boden was arrested by Vancouver Police after allegedly being observed by police fondling a woman. Boden was taken into custody after a violent struggle near Commercial Drive and Broadway in Vancouver and charged with sex assault and resisting or obstructing police. Boden was also a person of interest in four other sexual assaults by a muscular black male during the summer of 2009. Previous firearms charges were dismissed Thursday October 11, 2009 due to prosecution not proving the four firearms in Boden's possession were operational.
2011
On December 12 or 13, 2011, Boden was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and one count of assaulting and one count of obstructing a police officer.
2012
Joshua Boden was charged under Criminal Code of Canada 264.1. Uttering threats according to B.C. Court file number 192462 January 14, 2012. These charges were thrown out of court. On April 13, 2012, while on bail for previous charges, Joshua Boden was charged with four counts of assault at Tinseltown Cinema in Vancouver according to B.C. Court file number 11232. On July 26, 2012, Crown lawyer Michaela Donnelly asked for a one-year jail sentence for the former BC Lions football player convicted of sex crimes at Vancouver SkyTrain stations. Boden was set to appear in Vancouver Provincial Court on August 31, 2012 for decision. On August 31, 2012, Josh Boden was sentenced to one year of imprisonment for the 2009 sex-crimes he committed as well as obstruction and assaulting a police officer. He served six months, given credit for time already in custody, and was to be on probation for three years after his release.
2014
Boden was charged with four counts of assault causing bodily harm and breaching his probation conditions. This was relating to a complaint to Surrey RCMP received from a woman alleging that Josh Boden had assaulted her several times dating back to 2013. These charges were thrown out of court. On July 15, 2014, Joshua Joseph Boden was facing multiple charges: Procuring someone to be a prostitute, living on the avails of prostitution, aiding a person to engage in prostitution and criminal harassment. These charges were related to incidents that took place in Vancouver and Port Moody in February 2014. These charges were thrown out of court.
2018
On November 5, 2018, Boden was charged with second-degree murder after the 2009 killing of Kimberly Hallgarth.
