BYRON SMITH MURDER TRIAL: Minnesota Teenagers Shot Dead During Break-In

[Duchess]

there are plenty of people here who feel he was justified in 'finishing them off.'

I'd like to hear from plenty of those people. What a few of us agreed on was that anyone who goes uninvited into a home risks being killed. It was shocking to read what he did to those kids and I don't think they deserved to die, had they simply been shot in the leg or arm I would have been cool with that.

[HairOfTheDog]

Smith wanted the robbers dead, period. He said it himself and the evidence proves it.

His punishment of the robbers did not fit the crime and he wasn't in a position to decide their punishment anyway.

Wounding them to prevent them from escaping or harming him; no problem whatsoever. But wounding them and then proceeding to kill them when they were down was unjust (regardless as to whether the robbers were white or black or any other color).

I'm really thinking that Smith's only possible defenses will be temporary insanity or PTSD, very curious to see what his lawyers put forth if he does not plead guilty.

If it ends up that Smith somehow lured the robbers to the house for the purpose of killing them (just a possibility in my mind based on the circumstances, nothing to that effect reported), he's all the way up the creek.

[Midwest Spy]

If it ends up that Smith somehow lured the robbers to the house for the purpose of killing them (just a possibility in my mind based on the circumstances, nothing to that effect reported), he's all the way up the creek.

The 'luring' part is fascinating to me. I'd never considered it. A little payback for whomever was behind the last robbery?

What if he'd let it be known around town that he was going to be gone for Thanksgiving? Is that what you're talking about? What an interesting angle.

There have been defense attorneys on talk radio the last couple of days discussing his case. They're still of the belief that he can walk on this even with his admitted kill shots well after the teens were incapacitated.

[Duchess]

What if he'd let it be known around town that he was going to be gone for Thanksgiving?

Could that then be considered premeditated murder?

[Sphincter Cop]

I think most white people would admit that if this were the case of a couple of North Minneapolis black teenagers breaking into someone's house, there wouldn't be a lot of sympathy.

Aside from weighing the justification in this case, you bring a very good point to the discussion. What if these victims were two African American teens that broke into this home????

It is a relative concept of how fractured our society/culture is; when a crime is committed, and race becomes a subjective idea in formulating an overall opinion based on cursory details.

Let me ask this, if both teens entered the home and subsequently died from ONE shot in each victim. Would the opinion in his "justification" be different??

[septic]

There are too many disturbing things about this case.
No self-respecting burglar would break a window if he thought anyone was home...so did this man pretend he wasn't home?
I don't believe any teenage girl would laugh if a rifle pointed at her jammed, especially as she'd already been shot.
Why did she follow her partner down the stairs after the first shots were fired?
Why did they go down to the basement anyhow if they were burgling the home, had someone said there was something valuable down there?
Why didn't the homeowner go upstairs with his guns when he heard the glass breaking.
Did he wait in ambush in the basement and execute them?

[HairOfTheDog]

Let me ask this, if both teens entered the home and subsequently died from ONE shot in each victim. Would the opinion in his "justification" be different??

For me, his justification could very well be different.

Smith's opportunity to sell a "self defense" story would be better at the very least.

If each robber had only been shot once and both shots were fatal, I'd be inclined to consider it possible if Smith claimed that he felt threatened and shot in order to defend his own life against thugs who had no right to be in his home (maybe even believe that this senior citizen home owner was then so traumatized that he panicked and thus didn't notify police til a day later).

No such considerations exist in the reality of the situation with each robber clearly having a wounding bullet and a separate death bullet in 'em (according to reports). JMO...

There are too many disturbing things about this case.

Good questions that you put forth, septic.

Those are the kind of oddities about this case that have me wondering if Smith knew these kids and was a vicitm of theirs in the past, thus possibly prompting him to lure them to the house so he could give them what he felt that they deserved. Did he feel that they were literally or figuratively laughing at him? Purely speculative on my part, but the details as we now know them aren't adding up for me either.

[username]

I don't care if the kids were colored like Smurfs. How the hell can you justify a "clean kill shot" up the chin to someone who is already down? Crazy fucker.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

They won't be breakin into anybody elses shit

[username]

They won't be breakin into anybody elses shit

No they won't because some crazy fuck decided to execute them.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Lesson learned, Don't break into the crazy fuckers house

[ZEROSPHERES]

I would not rely on his version being the truth. It could well be he wanted vengeance as a result of his victimization from the previous break-ins and believed these two were the perps and were laughing behind his back. So he went and found them and herded them into his house and down to his basement where the mess would be least objectionable to him and shot them dead. That's why he waited till the next day to notify anyone because he knew they needed to be dead so they could not tell anyone what really went down. Then he went upstairs and outside to the window and broke it so his story would appear plausible.

[Sphincter Cop]

I don't care if the kids were colored like Smurfs. How the hell can you justify a "clean kill shot" up the chin to someone who is already down? Crazy fucker.

They do it on "The Walking Dead" all the time. Maybe he can use the ZOMBIE DEFENSE!!!

[ramseycat]

Why couldn't the dude just point the gun at the kids and say stop. Call 911 while holding them at gunpoint? He didn't have to shoot them much less kills them.

[nrkerr]

Why couldn't the dude just point the gun at the kids and say stop. Call 911 while holding them at gunpoint? He didn't have to shoot them much less kills them.

If someone broke into your house, would you take the time to point a gun and call 911?

I know I wouldn't. I have three children, and bet your ass if someone breaks into my house...they are getting shot.

The average time for the police to arrive here after a 911 call is 27 minutes. There is a lot of damage that could happen to me or mine in that amount of time.

If I am in a "us or them" situation, it'll be them...every time!!

[ramseycat]

27 minutes??? Where the hell do you live? If I called 911 and said I am holding two kids that broke into my house at gun point, come get them, the cops would be there ASAP.

[nrkerr]

I live in Kansas City. The cops are dealing with gang violence, and every other imaginable offense out there. In my experience, it has taken an average of 27 minutes for the police to show up to our area when there is a problem.

Is it their fault? Nope.

But I find the saying "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away" to be very true.

[Duchess]

it has taken an average of 27 minutes for the police to show up to our area when there is a problem.

More & more people are arming themselves because of that. People need to be able to count on themselves & not the police. Every week in my little local paper the notices for people applying for gun permits grows.

[JsMom]

Why couldn't the dude just point the gun at the kids and say stop. Call 911 while holding them at gunpoint? He didn't have to shoot them much less kills them.

If someone broke into your house, would you take the time to point a gun and call 911?

I know I wouldn't. I have three children, and bet your ass if someone breaks into my house...they are getting shot.

The average time for the police to arrive here after a 911 call is 27 minutes. There is a lot of damage that could happen to me or mine in that amount of time.

If I am in a "us or them" situation, it'll be them...every time!!

I have to agree. I WILL do what I have to do to protect my family even if it means shooting the intruders.

[nrkerr]

My husband and FIL just got their concealed carry, and I know a lot of people that are following suit.