What do you think about this shooting?

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This is a far out case. Every post here has valid points. Now lets look at this angle. YOUR house has been burglared a dozen times as reported. Obviously you have come to the point not only are you fearful for your life, you also GOT to be fearful to leave your house because its highly apt to be hit again. Now we dont know all the facts yet, but from common sense and some life experience`s, I suspect that after a dozen thefts he must have a "interesting" relationship with the local PD or sheriff`s dept. Its been reported he suspected the neighbor girl and he was right. Now if YOU got hit a dozen times and suspected the neighbor brat I would think you would have voiced your opinion to the investigating officers. I suspect he wasnt taken seriously and was shined on by the local leo`s. It had to have got to the point with him he felt he was a prisoner in his own house and couldnt leave without sweating his house was going to be burglarized. By now he had to know the local LE wasnt taking him serious and he had good reason to think they were not going to be any farther help. I would think that. I believe we will be hearing more about his "relationship" with his local law enforcement agency. Something is wrong there.
 
I live in MN, so we get a lot of coverage.
Here is what is evidence, not supposition:
-Byron Smith moved his car a 1/4 mile away, about 11:30 am the day in question, some say so it would look like he was not home.
-He had 4 video cameras outside, feeding into a 4 way split tv in view of his favorite reading chair in the lower level, so he could see the perps casing his home.
-He had a working landline next to that chair, but 911 was never dialed.
-He had a working tape system, 6 hour capacity, set up, which was so sensitive that his breathing and foot falls coming down the stairs can be heard, as well as the breaking glass as the first perp entered his home.
-Tape picked up his words "sorry about that" after the first shot, and "you're dead" just before his shot into his eye at 6 inch range (his recounting, on taped confession).
-Tape also picked up second perp's footsteps coming down the stairs, the first shot, and the Ruger mini 14 jamming. Also the "finishing shot under the chin into her brain". His words.
-18 seconds elapsed from first perp's final shot to the sound of the tarp rustling as he put the body on it to avoid a mess on his carpet. As he was doing so, "blood and brains on the carpet, what a mess. Worse than vomit, worse than ****" were his mutterings. On his own tape.
Media bias. I dunno. Glad I'm not on the jury.
 
Forgot to mention he had all but one of the lower level light bulbs removed and in a pile by his reading chair. Police postulate that he did that so perps could not see him, but he could get a good shot at them. You know, he did not call the cops for 24 hours. How did it not occur to him to at least screw in the bulbs and get rid of the tapes? Even move his car back home?
His own tapes pick up his voice saying "I did my civic duty today".
He right or wrong, should have dumped the tapes.
 
I see he is a retired "security engineer" for the U.S. department of state. Just what is that? Is it something to do with setting up security cameras etc? That would explain the cameras and recording devices he had rigged.
His behavior through all this is a real puzzle to me. If he was a security engineer, he more than most people should know not to make all the mistakes he did, yet he acted like he thought he was just in every one of them. It`s starting to look to me that maybe he was awake and watching so much that he literally went nuts. He no doubt was obsessed with hate and self justification. I havent read anywhere whether he was married or single but I would guess single. Its surprising we havent read any background of how acquaintances viewed him. The news reporters had no trouble finding people to testify how nice the teens were. I did see that the police did say there was evidence found of at least two prior burglary's of his house from the teens. I take that to mean he had certain items he reported missing on two different robbery's that must have been found in their houses AFTER the shootings? Sounds like smith had no confidence in the local PD after past experience`s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_engineering
 
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The security cameras are not a big deal. Anyone can buy a camera security system at Costco. So, it's not like it's all that uncommon for a person to have video surveillance.
 
I just got through reading more on smith. He is ex army, worked for the U.S. fed state department as a "security engineer". His brother said he traveled extensively to Russia, china etc. A lot to think about.
He had hired the boy in the past to do yard cleanup along with a friend of the youth. The other youth said the one he had shot had given him money etc for helping him burglar smiths house in the past. Drugs were found in the slain youths car from another burglary just the prior night. A sister to the slain girl said she had stold stuff from her. Both the dead boy and girl were known by their friends to have burglared places.
At first when I started this thread without reading much I visualized smith as some sort of redneck retarded uneducated recluse. Boy, was I wrong! It looks like a expensive house on river front property. The guy had to have a good education for that job. Now I am guessing again, but picture this: He spent his adult life in first the military and then working as a "security engineer for the department of state, sounds like setting up cameras etc for embassy`s etc.? If so he was rubbing shoulders with goverment spooks, guards etc and well may have been one himself? When that is all you have done and been around with for 40 years, and much of that time overseas this is starting to get more understandable to me. Some accounts say he was hit 12 times, one police official said 8 times. At least 2 known prior times these teens hit him. He claimed he had lost thousands of dollars and guns etc in the robberies The third youth admitted the slain teen boy had given him money for a ATV and cloths for helping him rob this guy before. Good chance this guy had training and 40 years of shop talk with guys that were the real deal in his career I would think. That along with getting zero results on a dozen hits on your home with the local PD, and you dont dare to leave the house without thinking it will be burglared just might do something to a guys reasoning.
 
lets see watching TV and sitting in basement not a crime. hearing glass brake and and burglers walking around stealing stuff thats a crime . the coming down in my basement of my home the man felt threatened . its called the castle law u have the right to protect yourself. he shot them plan and simple. do you think there parents could be at fault 4 not teaching them right from wrong. or is it against the law to watch TV and have a snack in your own home thats locked up. they had no bizz for being there
 
islamoradamark said:
lets see watching TV and sitting in basement not a crime. hearing glass brake and and burglers walking around stealing stuff thats a crime . the coming down in my basement of my home the man felt threatened . its called the castle law u have the right to protect yourself. he shot them plan and simple. do you think there parents could be at fault 4 not teaching them right from wrong. or is it against the law to watch TV and have a snack in your own home thats locked up. they had no bizz for being there
Click to expand...

Clearly they were criminals, but the question for the jury will be: "Were they murdered?" and "Did he murder them?". From reading the facts, it's hard to come up with any answer other than "yes" to both, unless you have no understanding of U.S. Law.

Of course, I thought I understood U.S. Law until the jury announced the acquittal of O.J. Simpson. :confused:
 
i guess breaking into a home is ok just if your not there. lets put the shoes on your feet what would you do just let them murder you because your watching TV in your own home. i think you watched to OJ reruns
 
I guess I would have shot them, but once they were on the floor gasping, I would have called 911.
I don't think I would have instead shot one in the eye from a foot away, and the other up through the chin from 6 inches for a "good clean finishing shot".
But that is just me.
 
I haven't read this whole thread- don't have time.
I'm not sure it would be worth the time if I had it. :D

It sounds to me like the life paths of three fools converged with bad results for all.
Did the homeowner have an alarm system? Sounds like a good idea if he did not. ;)
 
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