Minnesota homeowner shot two teenagers dead (1 Viewer)

[Ketamine Dreams]

You have a right to defend yourself and your home. Once the threat is not there, you don't have the right to execute an unarmed person. The guy carried it too far. He had the right to shoot them, but man that's a brutal ending.

 

[Zow]

Outside of the Twin Cities, most of MN was settled by Scandinavians, Germans etc. We don't even have a lot of the olive-skinned French, Italians, Greeks etc. Very pale people. Nice, but pale.

 

[NCCommish]

You have a right to defend yourself and your home. Once the threat is not there, you don't have the right to execute an unarmed person. The guy carried it too far. He had the right to shoot them, but man that's a brutal ending.

I agree with this completely. You find a person who doesn't belong in your house and you shoot them? Well they shouldn't have been there and who knows what they were planning. You'll get no grief from me. But to shoot and then finish off? No I can't support that. I mean what's the difference between what he allegedly did and frog marching them to the basement to give them one behind the ear? Really nothing.

 

[DiStefano]

You have a right to defend yourself and your home. Once the threat is not there, you don't have the right to execute an unarmed person. The guy carried it too far. He had the right to shoot them, but man that's a brutal ending.

I agree with this completely. You find a person who doesn't belong in your house and you shoot them? Well they shouldn't have been there and who knows what they were planning. You'll get no grief from me. But to shoot and then finish off? No I can't support that. I mean what's the difference between what he allegedly did and frog marching them to the basement to give them one behind the ear? Really nothing.

100% agree.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Bad things can happen when stupid runs into crazy.

 

[StrikeS2k]

This should be a good one:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/minn-man-shot-killed-teens-heading-trial-23311811

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

How is it premeditated murder when they broke into his house?

 

[mr roboto]

How is it premeditated murder when they broke into his house?

Did you read how he killed them?

 

[The Future Champs]

Bad things can happen when stupid runs into crazy.

Pretty much sums up my love life.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

How is it premeditated murder when they broke into his house?

Did you read how he killed them?

I'm certainly no lawyer but but premeditated means you planned it out and carried through, right? The guy might be guilty of raging out and losing his mind but no way did he plan to kill them in advance.

 

[Ursa M]

How is it premeditated murder when they broke into his house?

Did you read how he killed them?

I'm certainly no lawyer but but premeditated means you planned it out and carried through, right? The guy might be guilty of raging out and losing his mind but no way did he plan to kill them in advance.

He isn't going to be convicted of first degree murder, IMO, but he'll likely get second degree. I'm going to bet on a hung jury though - I think at least one or two won't convict him.

 

[Mr. Retukes]

How is it premeditated murder when they broke into his house?

Did you read how he killed them?

I'm certainly no lawyer but but premeditated means you planned it out and carried through, right? The guy might be guilty of raging out and losing his mind but no way did he plan to kill them in advance.

There's no time limit for premeditation.

 

[mr roboto]

How is it premeditated murder when they broke into his house?

Did you read how he killed them?

I'm certainly no lawyer but but premeditated means you planned it out and carried through, right? The guy might be guilty of raging out and losing his mind but no way did he plan to kill them in advance.

If the removed lightbulbs and other details are true, the second one (girl) may be premeditated

 

[PatsWillWin]

How is it premeditated murder when they broke into his house?

Did you read how he killed them?

I'm certainly no lawyer but but premeditated means you planned it out and carried through, right? The guy might be guilty of raging out and losing his mind but no way did he plan to kill them in advance.

There's no time limit for premeditation.

This. Premeditation can happen in an instant.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

It's not called the great white north because of the snow, its because of the people.

I find it interesting that this guy would choose a mini 14 for home defense. From his background I would presume he would at least have had an AR 15 rather than the mini 14. Really I would expect something else for home defense, but at least I would expect that simple upgrade

 

[Carolina Hustler]

It's not called the great white north because of the snow, its because of the people.

I find it interesting that this guy would choose a mini 14 for home defense. From his background I would presume he would at least have had an AR 15 rather than the mini 14. Really I would expect something else for home defense, but at least I would expect that simple upgrade

One of the articles said his shotgun had been stolen.

 

[Dr Oadi]

The girl was intoxicated with marijuana and cough syrup. No doubt acting out of her mind and hallucinating!

 

[Kal El]

I just heard about this story, and while I fully support the ability to defend your home, this guy took it too far. I think he gets busted for second degree murder.

 

[Clifford]

Yeah the execution stuff is what gets you. I would give him a pass on shooting someone breaking into his house. But the whole putting a gun under the chin to finish them off thing should spell jail time.

Plus the kids are white. Case closed.

 

[BigJim®]

Interesting case. Several gun toting friends are posting crazy to facebook about how a guilty verdict will result in a large protest from 2nd amendment thumpers, saying they would do the same to an intruder, that it's an outrage he was charged at all, etc. Surprisingly one of them is an attorney who even posted the statute in support of his stance "The intentional taking of the life of another is not authorized by section 609.06, except when necessary in resisting or preventing an offense which the actor reasonably believes exposes the actor or another to great bodily harm or death, or preventing the commission of a felony in the actor's place of abode." - completely avoiding the plain reading that once "prevention" is absent, so too is the right to kill. That appears to be the crux based on my reading of the facts recorded and/or described by the homeowner. If I cared to jump into that hornets nest I could easily describe scenarios that would test their tunnel vision on this topic, but why bother? It's obviously pointless. Reality is there seems to be a large contingency of regular folks who see this homeowner as the only victim, and I too expect a hung jury. FWIW, my aunt/uncle are neighbors to the shooter. It's a private wooded lot along the river, but not what I would describe as rural.

 

[Johnny Bing]

Closing arguments today

..."Defense attorney Steve Meshbesher has argued that Smith couldn’t tell the teens were unarmed, and that Smith was simply trying to defend himself. But prosecutors allege that Smith planned the killings, waiting for the teens in his basement with a book, two guns, energy bars and a bottle of water."

 

[Clifford]

Plus you know he admitting to executing the girl when she was lying in a pool of her own blood and gasping for breath.

 

[Kal El]

Closing arguments today

..."Defense attorney Steve Meshbesher has argued that Smith couldn’t tell the teens were unarmed, and that Smith was simply trying to defend himself. But prosecutors allege that Smith planned the killings, waiting for the teens in his basement with a book, two guns, energy bars and a bottle of water."

Did they say what book it was? Perhaps he planned to throw it at them.

 

[Clifford]

I really have a problem with the angle of the prosecution. Once again trying to build an elaborate intent scenario. Just hammer the guy, over and over again, on putting the gun under the girls chin after she had been shot and lying on the floor. Focus on one incontrovertible piece of evidence and latch onto it like a bulldog. That's murder 1 right there. Why build some story about waiting in the basement?

 

[Johnny Bing]

I really have a problem with the angle of the prosecution. Once again trying to build an elaborate intent scenario. Just hammer the guy, over and over again, on putting the gun under the girls chin after she had been shot and lying on the floor. Focus on one incontrovertible piece of evidence and latch onto it like a bulldog. That's murder 1 right there. Why build some story about waiting in the basement?

I'm not a lawyer, but I assume they are trying to drive home the two counts of premeditation first degree murder. That he planned to kill them from the start.

 

[Clifford]

Not a lawyer either, Bohu Dik, but seems like it would be way harder to prove that than the execution shot which the guy has already admitted to and is clearly proven by forensics. Seems like in most "self defense" aka I am using the law as my own personal excuse to execute people cases, the prosecutors are always reaching for more than they can prove, thus confusing the jury and getting these sickos off.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Guilty

 

[Lutherman2112]

“That was the most damning piece of evidence in my mind,” Wes Hatlestad, one of 12 jurors, said Wednesday. “That audio recording of the actual killings and the audio recording of Mr. Smith’s interview immediately after his arrest ... pretty much convinced me that we were dealing with a deranged individual.”

Judge release audio of murders

 

[FBG26]

That was the most damning piece of evidence in my mind, Wes Hatlestad, one of 12 jurors, said Wednesday. That audio recording of the actual killings and the audio recording of Mr. Smiths interview immediately after his arrest ... pretty much convinced me that we were dealing with a deranged individual.

Judge release audio of murders

Really glad my browser acted up when I clicked that link. I am pretty sure I didn't actually want to hear it; reading it is gruesome enough.

 

[Lutherman2112]

That was the most damning piece of evidence in my mind, Wes Hatlestad, one of 12 jurors, said Wednesday. That audio recording of the actual killings and the audio recording of Mr. Smiths interview immediately after his arrest ... pretty much convinced me that we were dealing with a deranged individual.

Judge release audio of murders

Really glad my browser acted up when I clicked that link. I am pretty sure I didn't actually want to hear it; reading it is gruesome enough.

Link takes you to article...have to click audio link in article.