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http://news.yahoo.com/prosecutor-minn-homeowner-lay-wait-teens-163213122.html
LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota man on trial for killing two teenagers after they broke into his house had been lying in wait in his basement with a book, some snacks and two guns, a prosecutor said Monday in his opening statement.
Byron Smith, 65, of Little Falls, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the slayings of 17-year-old Nick Brady and 18-year-old Haile Kifer on Thanksgiving Day in 2012. The killings rocked the small central Minnesota town of about 8,000 and stirred debate about how far a person can go in defending their home.
Smith has claimed self-defense, saying he feared the teens were armed and he was on edge after earlier, repeated break-ins at his home. Under Minnesota law, a person may use deadly force to prevent a felony from taking place in one's home or dwelling, but authorities have said Smith crossed a line when he continued to shoot the teens after they were no longer a threat.
LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota man on trial for killing two teenagers after they broke into his house had been lying in wait in his basement with a book, some snacks and two guns, a prosecutor said Monday in his opening statement.
Byron Smith, 65, of Little Falls, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the slayings of 17-year-old Nick Brady and 18-year-old Haile Kifer on Thanksgiving Day in 2012. The killings rocked the small central Minnesota town of about 8,000 and stirred debate about how far a person can go in defending their home.
Smith has claimed self-defense, saying he feared the teens were armed and he was on edge after earlier, repeated break-ins at his home. Under Minnesota law, a person may use deadly force to prevent a felony from taking place in one's home or dwelling, but authorities have said Smith crossed a line when he continued to shoot the teens after they were no longer a threat.