News Minnesota man who killed teens in break-in charged with murder - Page 16

NIUhuskies · 11-27-2012, 04:56 PM

wow, this sounds pretty messed up... Cant tell if his guy is nuts or if these kids were on drugs

By NBC News staff and wire services

A 64-year-old Minnesota man was charged Monday with murder for killing two teenagers who he said broke into his Little Falls home, shooting them in the head, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

AP file

Byron David Smith was arrested after he told police he shot and killed two teenagers who he said were breaking into his home on Thanksgiving Day.

"If you're trying to shoot somebody and they laugh at you, you go again," Byron David Smith of Little Falls told investigators, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.

Smith was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Haile Kifer, 18, and her cousin, Nicholas Brady, 17, both of Little Falls. The teens were shot on Thanksgiving Day, but their deaths weren't reported until Friday.
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Brady has also used the name Schaeffel, which is his mother’s maiden name, at times for family reasons, according to the sheriff's office.

In the criminal complaint, Smith said he was in the basement of his remote home about 10 miles southwest of Little Falls when he heard a window breaking upstairs, followed by footsteps that eventually approached the basement stairwell. Fearful after several break-ins, according to the complaint, Smith said he fired when Brady came into view from the waist down.

After the teen fell down the stairs, Smith said he shot him in the face as he lay on the floor.

"I want him dead," the complaint quoted Smith telling an investigator.

Smith said he dragged Brady's body into his basement workshop, then sat back down on his chair, and after a few minutes Kifer began coming down the stairs. He said he shot her as soon as her hips appeared, and she fell down the steps.

Smith said he tried to shoot her again with his Mini 14 rifle, but that the gun jammed and Kifer laughed at him.

"Smith stated that it was not a very long laugh because she was already hurting," according to the complaint.

Smith said he then shot Kifer in the chest several times with a .22-caliber revolver, dragged her next to Brady, and with her still gasping for air, fired a shot under her chin "up into the cranium."

"Smith described it as 'a good clean finishing shot,'" according to the compliant, but also that he acknowledged he had fired "more shots than (he) needed to."

The following day he asked a neighbor to recommend a good lawyer, according to the complaint. He later asked his neighbor to call the police.

A prosecutor called Smith's reaction "appalling."

"Mr. Smith intentionally killed two teenagers in his home in a matter that goes well beyond self-defense," Morrison County Attorney Brian Middendorf said after Smith appeared at Morrison County District Court on Monday morning. Bail was set at $2 million.

Follow @NBCNewsUS

Minnesota law allows a homeowner to use deadly force on an intruder if a reasonable person would fear they're in danger of harm. Smith told investigators he was afraid the intruders might have a weapon.

Smith's actions "sound like an execution" rather than legitimate self-defense, said David Pecchia, executive director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association. Pecchia said his statements to investigators suggest he had eliminated any threat to his safety by wounding the cousins.

Smith's brother, Bruce Smith, told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that the incident was the eighth burglary at Byron Smith's home in recent years.

The only report the Morrison County sheriff's office has for a break-in at the home was for one on Oct. 27. It shows Byron Smith reported losing cash and gold coins worth $9,200, plus two guns worth $200 each, photo equipment worth more than $3,000 and a ring worth $300.

Little Falls is about 100 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

Brady's sister, Crystal Schaeffel, told the Star Tribune that Kifer had broken into her home before. Little Falls police records show Crystal Schaeffel reported a theft Aug. 28, but the department said the report was not public because that investigation was continuing and because it named juveniles.

Tessa Ruth, an aunt of Brady, attended Smith's hearing. She told the Star Tribune she wished the man had fired a warning shot or alerted the police instead of shooting the teens.

"It wasn't right for them to be there and, yes, he had a right to defend himself. But to execute them like that..."

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...th-murder?lite

Reerun_KC · 02-08-2013, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

Don’t you mean get you a new gun and he can have a hand-me-down?

CP is wise beyond its years...

**ptlyon** · 02-08-2013, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

Why do you care how many fire arms I have to protect my home... And hopefully no one is stupid enough to try and come in our house at night uninvited.

but there are plenty of Meth heads out here, so who knows...

"Welcome to my home. As a warning, that door was locked for YOUR protection."

BigCatDaddy · 02-08-2013, 10:03 AM

Let this be a lesson to anybody out there thinking about breaking into someone's home. Some people don't **** around!

**Predarat** · 02-08-2013, 10:43 AM

Two punk kids broke into a mans house over and over again. The last time they did it:
THEY......NEVER.............CAME..............BACK.

displacedinMN · 08-31-2013, 12:51 PM

Update Sept 30, 2013

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. - The man accused of killing two teenagers who broke into his Little Falls-area home on Thanksgiving Day is due in Morrison County District Court Friday for hearing at which he will challenge evidence against him.

Byron David Smith, 65, faces two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of cousins Nicholas Brady, 17, and Haile Kifer, 18. The hearing Friday is expected to last the balance of the day.

Smith has been free since posting $50,000 conditional bail after he was initially charged with second-degree murder. A grand jury later indicted him on first-degree murder charges.

Smith is accused of killing Kifer and Brady after the two broke into his house north of Little Falls. Smith shot the teens multiple times and left their bodies in the house for a day before authorities were notified, according to a court complaint charging him.

Smith told investigators that he was acting in self-defense when he shot the teenagers, a claim that prosecutors and investigators are challenging. The shooting sparked debate about how much force homeowners can use when protecting their property against an intruder.

Morrison County Sheriff Michel Wetzel said immediately after the shootings that Smith exceeded that amount of force when he shot the teens after previous gunshots had rendered them incapable of being an ongoing threat.

Court records accuse Smith of shooting Kifer and Brady several minutes apart after the teens broke into his house. He told authorities that his home had been previously broken into.

Surveillance equipment captured video of the break-in, and a digital audio recorder caught audio of the shootings, according to court records.

HonestChieffan · 08-31-2013, 12:59 PM

Hope Byron gets off on this bullshit Hope the prosecutor never finds work again

aturnis · 08-31-2013, 01:11 PM

Good. What he did was murder kids. Protecting your property is one thing. Shooting a kid to the ground, then putting them down like an animal is another.

Hope he's dead soon.

BWillie · 08-31-2013, 01:15 PM

All u gotta do if you are this guy is not say stupid shit to the cops. He deserves what he gets

**lewdog** · 08-31-2013, 01:15 PM

I've always asked myself if your home gets intruded...Is it better to kill them so they can't sue you for some bullshit or will you get in more trouble if you kill them?

It a fine ****ing line nowadays, which is pretty absurd if you think about anyone coming in to threaten you or your family. I'm not about to determine how much of a threat they possess or if they're armed.

T-post Tom · 08-31-2013, 01:17 PM

DC. Or better yet: new forum for "Guns & 2nd Amendment Rants".

BWillie · 08-31-2013, 01:18 PM

Lol at you ppl worried about getting sued by shooting home intruders

Eleazar · 08-31-2013, 01:19 PM

Sure he's a murderer, and hopefully he goes down as one.

It's common sense though that if you break into a house there's a chance you'll get shot.

**lewdog** · 08-31-2013, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWillie

Lol at you ppl worried about getting sued by shooting home intruders

It happens all the time. A quick google searched listed multiple incidents just on the first page.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_1...returned-fire/

BWillie · 08-31-2013, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewdog

It happens all the time. A quick google searched listed multiple incidents just on the first page.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_1...returned-fire/

I could sue you for anything I want, doesnt mean ill be successful. There are cases where burglars or trespassers can sue for getting hurt on your property but its usually for having an attractive nuisance or a "TRAP" of some sort to lure them

threebag · 08-31-2013, 01:24 PM

Head Shots Only

11-27-2012, 04:56 PM
NIUhuskies Veteran Join Date: May 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Casino cash: $8425050	Minnesota man who killed teens in break-in charged with murder wow, this sounds pretty messed up... Cant tell if his guy is nuts or if these kids were on drugs By NBC News staff and wire services A 64-year-old Minnesota man was charged Monday with murder for killing two teenagers who he said broke into his Little Falls home, shooting them in the head, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. AP file Byron David Smith was arrested after he told police he shot and killed two teenagers who he said were breaking into his home on Thanksgiving Day. "If you're trying to shoot somebody and they laugh at you, you go again," Byron David Smith of Little Falls told investigators, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday. Smith was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Haile Kifer, 18, and her cousin, Nicholas Brady, 17, both of Little Falls. The teens were shot on Thanksgiving Day, but their deaths weren't reported until Friday. Advertise \| AdChoices Brady has also used the name Schaeffel, which is his mother’s maiden name, at times for family reasons, according to the sheriff's office. In the criminal complaint, Smith said he was in the basement of his remote home about 10 miles southwest of Little Falls when he heard a window breaking upstairs, followed by footsteps that eventually approached the basement stairwell. Fearful after several break-ins, according to the complaint, Smith said he fired when Brady came into view from the waist down. After the teen fell down the stairs, Smith said he shot him in the face as he lay on the floor. "I want him dead," the complaint quoted Smith telling an investigator. Smith said he dragged Brady's body into his basement workshop, then sat back down on his chair, and after a few minutes Kifer began coming down the stairs. He said he shot her as soon as her hips appeared, and she fell down the steps. Smith said he tried to shoot her again with his Mini 14 rifle, but that the gun jammed and Kifer laughed at him. "Smith stated that it was not a very long laugh because she was already hurting," according to the complaint. Smith said he then shot Kifer in the chest several times with a .22-caliber revolver, dragged her next to Brady, and with her still gasping for air, fired a shot under her chin "up into the cranium." "Smith described it as 'a good clean finishing shot,'" according to the compliant, but also that he acknowledged he had fired "more shots than (he) needed to." The following day he asked a neighbor to recommend a good lawyer, according to the complaint. He later asked his neighbor to call the police. A prosecutor called Smith's reaction "appalling." "Mr. Smith intentionally killed two teenagers in his home in a matter that goes well beyond self-defense," Morrison County Attorney Brian Middendorf said after Smith appeared at Morrison County District Court on Monday morning. Bail was set at $2 million. Follow @NBCNewsUS Minnesota law allows a homeowner to use deadly force on an intruder if a reasonable person would fear they're in danger of harm. Smith told investigators he was afraid the intruders might have a weapon. Smith's actions "sound like an execution" rather than legitimate self-defense, said David Pecchia, executive director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association. Pecchia said his statements to investigators suggest he had eliminated any threat to his safety by wounding the cousins. Smith's brother, Bruce Smith, told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that the incident was the eighth burglary at Byron Smith's home in recent years. The only report the Morrison County sheriff's office has for a break-in at the home was for one on Oct. 27. It shows Byron Smith reported losing cash and gold coins worth $9,200, plus two guns worth $200 each, photo equipment worth more than $3,000 and a ring worth $300. Little Falls is about 100 miles northwest of Minneapolis. Brady's sister, Crystal Schaeffel, told the Star Tribune that Kifer had broken into her home before. Little Falls police records show Crystal Schaeffel reported a theft Aug. 28, but the department said the report was not public because that investigation was continuing and because it named juveniles. Tessa Ruth, an aunt of Brady, attended Smith's hearing. She told the Star Tribune she wished the man had fired a warning shot or alerted the police instead of shooting the teens. "It wasn't right for them to be there and, yes, he had a right to defend himself. But to execute them like that..." http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...th-murder?lite
Posts: 1,036

02-08-2013, 10:03 AM	#228
BigCatDaddy The Beast Inside Your Head Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $2049122	Let this be a lesson to anybody out there thinking about breaking into someone's home. Some people don't **** around!
Posts: 25,858

02-08-2013, 10:43 AM	#229
Predarat Run Chiefs fans, run!! Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Nashville, TN Casino cash: $9973863	Two punk kids broke into a mans house over and over again. The last time they did it: THEY......NEVER.............CAME..............BACK.
Posts: 10,776

08-31-2013, 12:51 PM	#230
displacedinMN It was not a fair catch Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Correcting papers Casino cash: $2972630	Update Sept 30, 2013 LITTLE FALLS, Minn. - The man accused of killing two teenagers who broke into his Little Falls-area home on Thanksgiving Day is due in Morrison County District Court Friday for hearing at which he will challenge evidence against him. Byron David Smith, 65, faces two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of cousins Nicholas Brady, 17, and Haile Kifer, 18. The hearing Friday is expected to last the balance of the day. Smith has been free since posting $50,000 conditional bail after he was initially charged with second-degree murder. A grand jury later indicted him on first-degree murder charges. Smith is accused of killing Kifer and Brady after the two broke into his house north of Little Falls. Smith shot the teens multiple times and left their bodies in the house for a day before authorities were notified, according to a court complaint charging him. Smith told investigators that he was acting in self-defense when he shot the teenagers, a claim that prosecutors and investigators are challenging. The shooting sparked debate about how much force homeowners can use when protecting their property against an intruder. Morrison County Sheriff Michel Wetzel said immediately after the shootings that Smith exceeded that amount of force when he shot the teens after previous gunshots had rendered them incapable of being an ongoing threat. Court records accuse Smith of shooting Kifer and Brady several minutes apart after the teens broke into his house. He told authorities that his home had been previously broken into. Surveillance equipment captured video of the break-in, and a digital audio recorder caught audio of the shootings, according to court records. __________________ #investigatecarlcheffers Last edited by displacedinMN; 08-31-2013 at 12:58 PM..
Posts: 36,249

08-31-2013, 12:59 PM	#231
HonestChieffan Seeking the Truth daily Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the Country in MO Casino cash: $2254309	Hope Byron gets off on this bullshit Hope the prosecutor never finds work again __________________ “Make no mistake. If you try anything to raise the cost of vishessavatubs, I will veto it.” - Joe Biden, SOTU 2023
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08-31-2013, 01:11 PM	#232
aturnis MVP Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Iowa Casino cash: $9975811	Good. What he did was murder kids. Protecting your property is one thing. Shooting a kid to the ground, then putting them down like an animal is another. Hope he's dead soon.
Posts: 13,873

08-31-2013, 01:15 PM	#233
BWillie Future NBA Finals MVP Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Earth Casino cash: $2461241	All u gotta do if you are this guy is not say stupid shit to the cops. He deserves what he gets __________________ Who wants free money? Use the link below to sign up at Bovada, BetOnline, Black Chip Poker and Ignition. Contact me for private deals, spot bonuses, possible rakeback or any questions! Bovada, Ignition, BetOnline, Black Chip Poker: baldeaglepoker.com Bovada Poker is back! Get up to $500 poker deposit bonus.
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08-31-2013, 01:15 PM	#234
lewdog Mod Team Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Valley of the hot as **** Casino cash: $1931900	I've always asked myself if your home gets intruded...Is it better to kill them so they can't sue you for some bullshit or will you get in more trouble if you kill them? It a fine ****ing line nowadays, which is pretty absurd if you think about anyone coming in to threaten you or your family. I'm not about to determine how much of a threat they possess or if they're armed.
Posts: 45,566

08-31-2013, 01:17 PM	#235
T-post Tom Threepeat! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Milk/Honey/Gazland Casino cash: $4607293	DC. Or better yet: new forum for "Guns & 2nd Amendment Rants". __________________ You seem nice!
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08-31-2013, 01:18 PM	#236
BWillie Future NBA Finals MVP Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Earth Casino cash: $2461241	Lol at you ppl worried about getting sued by shooting home intruders __________________ Who wants free money? Use the link below to sign up at Bovada, BetOnline, Black Chip Poker and Ignition. Contact me for private deals, spot bonuses, possible rakeback or any questions! Bovada, Ignition, BetOnline, Black Chip Poker: baldeaglepoker.com Bovada Poker is back! Get up to $500 poker deposit bonus.
Posts: 45,891

08-31-2013, 01:19 PM	#237
Eleazar Beyond the Rapids Join Date: May 2003 Location: Langley, VA Casino cash: $-370000	Sure he's a murderer, and hopefully he goes down as one. It's common sense though that if you break into a house there's a chance you'll get shot.
Posts: 80,659

08-31-2013, 01:24 PM	#240
threebag Snacks Are Under My Apron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Edge Casino cash: $3041660	Head Shots Only __________________ Free DeBerg HayWire Greatest Mod Ever In big nasty kcnut we trust
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