Two teens broke into his home… they had no idea he was waiting in the basement… the camera caught everything, tell me about this news in (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/two-teens-broke-into-his-home-they-had-no-idea-he-was-waiting-in-the-basement-the-camera-caught-everything/vi-AA2bu8T2?ocid=BingNewsVerp)

This news story refers to the infamous November 2012 case of 64-year-old Byron David Smith in Little Falls, Minnesota, and the deaths of two teenagers, 17-year-old Nicholas Brady and 18-year-old Haile Kifer.

What Happened

• The Setup: Byron Smith, a retired U.S. State Department security engineer, had experienced several previous break-ins at his residence. On Thanksgiving Day 2012, believing burglars might return, he parked his truck down the street to make the house appear empty, moved to his dark basement with two firearms, a book, snacks, and water, and turned on an audio recording device as well as his home surveillance system.

• The Break-in: Nicholas Brady broke in through a window and entered the basement stairs first. Smith fired multiple shots at Brady, incapacitating him, and then fired an execution-style headshot once he fell to the basement floor. Smith wrapped Brady’s body in a tarp and dragged him out of immediate sight.

• The Second Shooting: About ten minutes later, Brady’s cousin, Haile Kifer, entered the home looking for Brady. As she came down the stairs, Smith shot her as well. After she fell wounded, Smith repeatedly shot her at point-blank range while berating and taunting her.

• The Aftermath: Smith did not call 911 that day. He waited until the following day to ask a neighbor to contact authorities.

The Trial and Conviction

While Smith claimed he acted in self-defense under the “Castle Doctrine,” his own surveillance recordings and an extensive six-hour digital audio tape became the decisive evidence against him:

• The recordings showed evidence of premeditation (“lying in wait”), including rehearsed statements prior to the break-in.

• The audio revealed that after neutralizing both intruders, he delivered fatal shots at close range while making disparaging, mocking remarks as they lay incapacitated.

• In April 2014, a jury rejected his self-defense claim, finding him guilty of two counts of premeditated first-degree murder. Byron Smith was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.