Byron David Smith killings
Location of Little Falls within the state of Minnesota.
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| Date | November 22, 2012 |
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| Location | Little Falls, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Deaths | 2 (Haile Kifer, Nicholas Brady) |
| Suspect(s) | 1 (Byron David Smith) |
| Accused | 1 |
| Convicted | 1 |
| Charges | Two counts of first-degree murder with premeditation and two counts of second-degree murder |
| Verdict | Smith convicted |
| Convictions | Two counts of first-degree murder with premeditation and two counts of second-degree murder |
The Byron David Smith killings occurred on Thanksgiving Day of 2012, when Haile Kifer, 18, and her cousin, Nicholas Brady, 17, broke into the home of Byron David Smith, 65, in Little Falls, Minnesota, in the United States. Smith, armed with a Ruger Mini-14, shot the teens separately and minutes apart as they entered the basement where he was, later stating to police he was worried about them being armed.
The case sparked debate over the "castle doctrine", which allows a homeowner to defend his home with lethal force. The prosecution alleged that Smith's actions showed aspects of premeditation (see lying in wait) and he used excessive force in relation to the threat. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Smith, 64, was retired from the U.S. State Department and had a history of international travel to Moscow, Bangkok and Beijing. Smith's brother described him as a retired security engineering officer.
Prior to the incident, Byron Smith had been burglarized at least half a dozen times over the preceding few months. Among the items stolen were thousands of dollars in cash, the watch his father had received after spending nearly a year as a POW in World War II, medals and ribbons Smith had earned in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, several firearms, and jewelry. Smith began routinely wearing a holster with a loaded gun inside his home. There is some evidence that Kifer and Brady committed at least a couple of the previous break-ins and were being investigated for prior burglaries, including one earlier on the day they were killed. Smith installed a security system to protect himself.
On November 22, 2012, Kifer and Brady broke into Smith's home. Video surveillance captured the teens casing the property prior to the break-in. By his own account to police, Smith was in the basement when he shot Brady twice at the top of the basement stairs, and once in the face fatally after he fell to the bottom of the stairs. Seconds later when Kifer entered the basement, he shot her at the top of the stairs. Wounded, she fell down the stairs, and after Smith's rifle jammed, he shot her multiple times in the chest with a 22-caliber revolver, dragged her across the floor to set her beside the body of her cousin, and then shot her fatally under the chin. Smith then waited until Friday to have a neighbor call police, saying that he did not want to bother law enforcement on Thanksgiving. Audio and video of the events were recorded by Smith's security system.
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Wikipedia