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Byron Smith convicted of premeditated murder of two teens during home break-in
- Thread starter Anton Sugar
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LordKasual
Banned
if you buy weapons with the dream of using them, this is one of the paths you can go down
Always-honest
Banned
Wow... i mean... burglars are lower than shit to me but this guy is a fucking psycho.
What a disturbed individual.
What a disturbed individual.
freethoughtbubble
Member
The fuck is your problem? Did you read the facts of the case? There was no reason they had to die that night. He actually lured them in by parking his car away from his home. He shot them execution style after they were already incapacitated, after it was clear they posed no threat, and mocked them in their final moments.
And the scary part is that under the laws of his state, and because of people who think like you, he probably would have gotten away with it had he not recorded himself.
So yes to answer your question everything about this bothers me.
VincentMatts
Member
And what about those people who broke into his house? Good Samaritans?
Hello? This is Hailun!
Member
Broke in unarmed. Didn't intend to kill the man.
He, OTOH, didn't intend to protect his property. He intended to murder some kids.
There's a difference between "I keep getting broken into, Im gonna buy a gun, and I'll use it if I have to" and "I keep getting broken into, I know who did it, now let me setup an elaborate trap to enact revenge."
Veritigo_X
Member
Obviously breaking and entering isn't good, but I think premeditated murder is a bit worse if I had to rank them.
VincentMatts
Member
I agree, but those kids are also fucking stupid. if you break into someones house, you have to expect something to go down if you get caught in the act.
Ya learn something new everyday. Not parking in my own drive is luring people to break into my house.
Moff
Member
it absolutely is, it's a well known fact the car is an important factor in how burglars choose their victims, he obviously counted exactly on that. it is luring in this case.
so do you think all thieves should be murdered or what
If you knew moving your car would lead people to believe you weren't there when you were then yes.
holygeesus
Banned
On Thanksgiving.
Thetinman
Member
What when do they have to take responsibility for their actions?
VincentMatts
Member
I think this world is filled with people like that and youre fucking stupid if you even take the risk of breaking into other peoples homes.
Cymbal Head
Banned
I missed this case when it was happening, but reading the summary in the OP made me physically ill.
they're dead, how exactly would you like them to take responsibility for their actions?
Captain Zyrain
Member
Dude is a psycho and deserves to be put away.
I believe in castle doctrine to a certain point (people should be allowed to defend their homes from burglars, especially if there's little chance of the police arriving on time) but this is beyond ridiculous
I have 0 sympathy for those shitbag teens though. I don't think they deserved to die in this instance but I'm not shedding any tears over their deaths. Fuck anybody who thinks it's cool to break into someone's house or car.
I believe in castle doctrine to a certain point (people should be allowed to defend their homes from burglars, especially if there's little chance of the police arriving on time) but this is beyond ridiculous
I have 0 sympathy for those shitbag teens though. I don't think they deserved to die in this instance but I'm not shedding any tears over their deaths. Fuck anybody who thinks it's cool to break into someone's house or car.
SecretMoblin
Member
Justice demands a proportionate response. The burglars' intentions (unarmed, just want some drugs and will skedaddle) don't matter if he was reacting to what he believed was immediate danger, but he wasn't reacting to immediate danger -- he planned to brutalize them, and then did.
It's brought up all the time but someone punching you doesn't necessarily entitle you to blast their head off. Someone who repeatedly steals from you, even if the local police seem uninterested in your plight, doesn't entitle you you to draw up plans to execute them and follow through.
freethoughtbubble
Member
Exactly how I feel. Deadly force to protect your home is perfectly fine in many cases. Essentially luring people into your house with the sole intent to murder without repercussion is... well.. murder.
Them being killed is nowhere close to what makes this a murder. It is 100% the premeditated actions he took prior to the event. Had they just broken in randomly and he caught them and killed them, that is absolutely justifiable self defense. That he actively lured them into the house and set the house up with the intent to kill people is the gross part here. Not that two home invaders died.
VincentMatts
Member
Its a country that promotes 'having the right to have a gun at home to defend yourself', what did you expect was going to happen?
Im not saying the guys isnt completely wacko, but you can get killed walking down the wrong street. These kids took it a step further.
Hello? This is Hailun!
Member
They weren't caught in the act. It was a premeditated setup.
Fahzgoolin
Banned
This is incredibly ignorant.
What a disgusting assumption.
This doesn't contribute to the discussion and is frankly a horrific thing to say or think.
Why do you know these facts?
LordKasual
Banned
Did you listen to the audio? I dont feel sorry for anyone who deliberately puts their lives in danger in cases like these. But anyone who takes such obvious pleasure in murder is a psycho.
*shoots girl, girl screams*
*gun jams*
"Oh, I'm sorry about that"
*girl says sorry, pleads for her life*
"No, you're DYING. Bitch."
*shoots her twice more, probably in the face*
"spilled food, worse than vomit, worse than shit, cleaning up a mess"
Hello? This is Hailun!
Member
If you change your habit specifically so you can lure someone into a trap, then yes.
Motive is a big thing in criminal law, after all.
SecretMoblin
Member
The thieves should have expected that they could die at any time they're breaking into someone else's home, absolutely! That doesn't mean their deaths were justified.
I dont agree that the kills were premeditated. The guy had been broken into before, from reading the whole thing he definitely comes as a mentally disturbed individual, but he would have killed anything that went into his basement no matter who the thief was and the whole thing required some dickhead to break into his house anyway, its not like he placed a trail of jewelry to his open front door. I also dont agree that appearing to not be home should be considered as robbery bait to make thiefs be justified to break in and protected from injuries if unnarmed. He definitely was not right after the first shot though, so his case for self defense falls flat on the face after he basically puts the intruders down like animals.
On the other hand, the old man strikes me as a dangerous individual from the recordings though, a really aggressive and bitter man.
VincentMatts
Member
Well there was some sort of 'premeditation' for sure since he was ready for them but like you said only because the guy was broken into before. I mean just imagine that shit happening to you, would you be able to sleep at night knowing people have broken in and would again? Id be paranoid as fuck. I wouldnt go murdering people but id be fucking paranoid.
Sad ending to a sad situation.
The fact he set up a tarp and moved his car to make his house more appealing for them to break in makes it premeditated (I mean his actions showed he wanted them to break in and he was setting up a trap for them so he could kill them... that is as premeditated as it comes). The fact that he tapped them more than once so he taunted them while he did it just made it a little more obvious that it was planned.
I mean I understand he was pissed off and maybe scared (though since he encouraged them to do it again I really doubt he was scared) since it happened before. But reasonable people then take actions to prevent it happening again or at least defend themselves or catch the person in the act if it happens again. Not set it up to *encourage* it to happen again plus set up a way to kill them when it does.
When you go out of the way to park blocks away so that your house looks empty (and that is your intention by not parking in front of your house) when you know there is a problem with people breaking in (therefore it makes it much more likely it will happen), yeah, yeah it is.
They obviously did. But the punishment was disproporitonate to the crime, they didn't get to be tried and were assumed guilty right away, and guy decides he is judge, jury, and executioner. I don't think there would be near as many people upset if he just held them up at gunpoint while he called the cops to have them arrest the kids.
CaviarMeths
Member
Maybe you should take a step back and re-assess your line of thought here. You're blaming the victims and pulling the "they were no angels" card.
Yes, burglary is wrong. It's also pretty stupid.
No, it does not justify being murdered in cold blood, nor is it even relevant. There is no good reason to bring it up. It's an assumed fact. Unless you want to downplay the murder or shift some of the blame, all you're doing is wasting everyone's time by posting this crap.
Hello? This is Hailun!
Member
There's a difference between "I keep getting broken into, Im gonna buy a gun, and I'll use it if I have to" and "I keep getting broken into, I know who did it, now let me setup an elaborate trap to enact revenge."
LostCaress
Member
Nope, the first shot was murder.
How are there people still trying to push the idea that victims deserved it?
He recorded it himself with his security cameras.
He recorded it himself with his security cameras.
ClosingADoor
Member
Wow, dude literally set a trap for it. He should have called the cops when they entered his home. He was not inside at the time, he was not in danger, he was not attacked.
If he was inside at the time and shot two people breaking in, it would be self defense. Now it is murder and he is rightfully convicted.
If he was inside at the time and shot two people breaking in, it would be self defense. Now it is murder and he is rightfully convicted.
He was not inside? What are you talking about?
ClosingADoor
Member
OK, I misread. I thought he came in after the two broke in. Apparently he was already inside waiting after pretending to leave. Either way, you can see how this was not a regular break in and self defense scenario and the ruling reflects that.
People are really defending this? You're allowed to shoot an intruder in self defense. It's part of the law there, but this guy went WAY past shooting in self defense. That's the issue.
This guy didn't just fire a shot to stop a burglar. He set up a deathtrap and kill zone. He lured these people in, then shot and executed those people after it was clear they were no longer any threat to him. He taunted them and shot them repeatedly, obviously taking great pleasure in it.
That's not self defense, that's fucking murder.
This guy didn't just fire a shot to stop a burglar. He set up a deathtrap and kill zone. He lured these people in, then shot and executed those people after it was clear they were no longer any threat to him. He taunted them and shot them repeatedly, obviously taking great pleasure in it.
That's not self defense, that's fucking murder.
I think there was another case where a homeowner laid in wait and shot some kid entering his garage from outside the garage. Maybe you got it mixed up?
Yeah, this one: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-montana-shooting-20141217-story.html
He had security footage. He could have just used that to get them arrested. Would that not have actually been what they deserved instead of being murdered? Especially the girl who probably wouldn't have actually entered the house if her cousin wasn't murdered.
LordKasual
Banned
While I understand the guy's frustration
being murdered is not what one deserves for unarmed theft
Reminds me of the Dad who shot the DUI driver who killed his 11 and 12 year old kids and got acquitted. Prosecutors did not have enough evidence. Sad all around.
Honestly I don't know how I would react if someone was in my house. Caught someone stealing a laptop at a friends house party and that reaction was not so good shit is pretty violating so it's easy to get heated.
Honestly I don't know how I would react if someone was in my house. Caught someone stealing a laptop at a friends house party and that reaction was not so good shit is pretty violating so it's easy to get heated.
We have problems with theft in our neighborhood. I well understand the frustration (I would love to catch the people or find some way to dissuade them). I still think what the guy did was murder and I do feel bad for them. They're kids, they should be punished but not like that (and I'm sorry, no, they didn't get what they deserved. They deserved to get caught and put in a place to rehabilitate them (I know, won't happen with our punishment system but still our punishment system is still better than murdering them). Being thieves does not make them incapable of becoming honest and productive citizens.
It is quite possible they still have a chance to turn their lives around and stealing some one's stuff is not deathworthy. Now, I would defend the guy if it was self defense cause in the end I think it is not right to disallow someone to defend themselves but this guy set out to murder them and there really is no gray area on this, he made it very clear with all his actions what his intent was. He even encouraged them to break into his house so that he could kill them. He taunted them and made sure they were dead after they were incapicitated. Everything he did points to him having full intent on wanting to kill these kids (I have a hard time thinking he was even scared of these kids, his actions in every way say he wanted them to break in so that he could do this. It reminds me of hunters setting up traps so they can shoot the animals that come to them).
She didn't die from the first shot. It was the following shots to finish her off that killed her.
DontBeThatGuy
Member
Well, it's a good thing none of your fellow psychopaths were allowed on this jury.
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