News Minnesota man who killed teens in break-in charged with murder - Page 14

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

**ptlyon** · 02-07-2013, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xanathol

People like you are what's wrong with the world today, where you want to twist the roles of what actually happened and punish those who should be defended, defending those who should be punished.

You want to toss a guy away for defending himself and his property from deadbeat piece of shit teens who have repeatedly executed crimes against him that the justice system hasn't managed to stop, yet dismiss these cancers on society, defending their CRIMES as not being 'that bad' or 'something we've all done'... No, we have not 'all done it' because we are not all criminals and if we were criminals, as a CRIMINAL you have given up the right to bitch about how your VICTIM decides to deal with you, because as a VICTIM, if you are willing to break one law to hurt me or my interest, how do I know you're not going to break another / escalate? Your line of thinking is the influence behind why our justice system doesn't adequately address these problem people to begin with, which leads to.... drum roll... them continuing to commit crimes and escalating those crimes!

I wonder how 'understanding' you would be if trash like this were constantly robbing and harassing you every time you turned around with no one there to help you and being unable to help yourself, because you know, its 'not that bad'...

****ING.AWESOME.

WhiteWhale · 02-07-2013, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xanathol

People like you are what's wrong with the world today, where you want to twist the roles of what actually happened and punish those who should be defended, defending those who should be punished.

You want to toss a guy away for defending himself and his property from deadbeat piece of shit teens who have repeatedly executed crimes against him that the justice system hasn't managed to stop, yet dismiss these cancers on society, defending their CRIMES as not being 'that bad' or 'something we've all done'... No, we have not 'all done it' because we are not all criminals and if we were criminals, as a CRIMINAL you have given up the right to bitch about how your VICTIM decides to deal with you, because as a VICTIM, if you are willing to break one law to hurt me or my interest, how do I know you're not going to break another / escalate? Your line of thinking is the influence behind why our justice system doesn't adequately address these problem people to begin with, which leads to.... drum roll... them continuing to commit crimes and escalating those crimes!

I wonder how 'understanding' you would be if trash like this were constantly robbing and harassing you every time you turned around with no one there to help you and being unable to help yourself, because you know, its 'not that bad'...

You can't defend yourself against a defenseless person. That's murder.

WhiteWhale · 02-07-2013, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xanathol

To spin a quote from Clint Eastwood, "well, they should have armed themselves if they were going to keep breaking the law".

If someone picks a fight with you and you beat their ass, you can't jump on their back and break their neck.

Murder is murder, even if you applaud it.

Omaha · 02-07-2013, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xanathol

You want to toss a guy away for defending himself and his property from deadbeat piece of shit teens who have repeatedly executed crimes against him that the justice system hasn't managed to stop, yet dismiss these cancers on society, defending

No. Nobody wants to "toss the guy away" for defending himself. The problem is what he did after he successfully defended himself.

WhiteWhale · 02-07-2013, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaha

No. Nobody wants to "toss the guy away" for defending himself. The problem is what he did after he successfully defended himself.

I applaud him for what he did, up until he murdered them in cold blood.

It amazes me that people can't see this line. It's an important line to understand if someone breaks into your home. The difference between no charges and murder charges...

**Dave Lane** · 02-07-2013, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaha

No. Nobody wants to "toss the guy away" for defending himself. The problem is what he did after he successfully defended himself.

I think half these idiots didn't read the story just the parts they like, like christians with the bible.

**Predarat** · 02-07-2013, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptlyon

No, no added late fees. Thats what has people so pissed off. It's not like they were driving drunk or anything. They give a portion to the camera maker. & yes, they should be on the list of what govt imposes on you as illegal.

If the precious Juvi Delinquents in this story had been doing somthing useful like vandalizing and destoying red light cameras instead of breaking into peoples houses they would still be alive today.

**SAUTO** · 02-07-2013, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lzen

Holy crap!

You're not messing around.

I live in a small, Meth rampant town and own a business where I deal in quite a but of cash.

Come get it tweakers. Lol
Posted via Mobile Device

**SAUTO** · 02-07-2013, 04:38 PM

And I have two guns at the shop. Cheap ones though. Ever since the judge walked out.

Glad it came back
Posted via Mobile Device

Aries Walker · 02-07-2013, 05:14 PM

I should point out that the fact that he used a gun is beside the point; he would be just as guilty had he used a knife, tomahawk, sword, or chainsaw.

Reerun_KC · 02-07-2013, 05:22 PM

.380 on my night stand. .45 under my bed 12 gauge by head board.

.380 on wife night stand. .38 under bed 20 gauge by her head board.

15 year old son has 9mm on his night stand and 12 gauge by head board.

When seconds count sherriff 35+ min away. I call 911 when threat is eliminated and house secure.

Its not murder its cleaning up the gene pool.

**Rain Man** · 02-07-2013, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aries Walker

I should point out that the fact that he used a gun is beside the point; he would be just as guilty had he used a knife, tomahawk, sword, or chainsaw.

But not if he had used a botched appendectomy surgery. Then it would only be civil. So the lesson is, if you kill an intruder, make it look like he/she was there for an appendectomy.

Aries Walker · 02-07-2013, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

.380 on my night stand. .45 under my bed 12 gauge by head board.

.380 on wife night stand. .38 under bed 20 gauge by her head board.

15 year old son has 9mm on his night stand and 12 gauge by head board.

When seconds count sherriff 35+ min away. I call 911 when threat is eliminated and house secure.

Its not murder its cleaning up the gene pool.

I think you may have seen In Cold Blood one time too many. Who the f*** are expecting, that the three of you need eight firearms to clear them out?

**Rain Man** · 02-07-2013, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aries Walker

I think you may have seen In Cold Blood one time too many. Who the f*** are expecting, that the three of you need eight firearms to clear them out?

I'm kind of worried that his son only has two guns. Why is he shorthanded when he's out on the flank?

OrtonsPiercedTaint · 02-07-2013, 06:06 PM

He knew the boy personally, since he had worked for him in the past. That changes things quite alot. They were wounded and he had to have recognized them before finishing them off. Reads like revenge to me.

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

02-07-2013, 04:38 PM	#204
SAUTO Shit Join Date: Jun 2008 Casino cash: $10039067	And I have two guns at the shop. Cheap ones though. Ever since the judge walked out. Glad it came back Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 55,715

02-07-2013, 05:14 PM	#205
Aries Walker Back again, again. Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: York, PA Casino cash: $9583357	I should point out that the fact that he used a gun is beside the point; he would be just as guilty had he used a knife, tomahawk, sword, or chainsaw. Last edited by Aries Walker; 02-07-2013 at 05:47 PM..
Posts: 8,179

02-07-2013, 05:22 PM	#206
Reerun_KC Rock Chalk Jayhawks! KU!!! Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $8301160	.380 on my night stand. .45 under my bed 12 gauge by head board. .380 on wife night stand. .38 under bed 20 gauge by her head board. 15 year old son has 9mm on his night stand and 12 gauge by head board. When seconds count sherriff 35+ min away. I call 911 when threat is eliminated and house secure. Its not murder its cleaning up the gene pool.
Posts: 934

02-07-2013, 06:06 PM	#210
OrtonsPiercedTaint MVP Join Date: Dec 2012 Casino cash: $10004980	He knew the boy personally, since he had worked for him in the past. That changes things quite alot. They were wounded and he had to have recognized them before finishing them off. Reads like revenge to me.
Posts: 5,994