Byron Smith murder trial in US - wow

[Bill]

We've had a couple of attempted break ins, in one my security was up to the job and in the other I caught someone trying the patio door at 5am.

ETA there are better ways to deter burglars than lying in wait with guns. In prison being burgled will be the least of his worries.

Edited by Bill on Thursday 24th April 13:31

[Dan_1981]

The wife went home to a ransacked house, intruders were long gone.

However it terrified her, and still does. She still has a genuine fear of leaving the house empty.

I can fully sympathise with anyone who shoots, stabs, attacks with cricket bat any intruder in their home.

I can fully sympathise with anyone that catches anyone that is trying to leave their property or running away.

Likewise with anyone who find someone attempting to get into their property.

What i'm struggling with however is the executing in cold blood bit.

Heat of the moment, yup fully understand, couple of scumbags down.

Shoot them, drag them across the floor and finish them off with a "kill shot", i'm struggling.

[Bill]

Dan, agreed on all counts. It's not nice having someone in your house, but did you wait up at night with the lights off with your cricket bat or did you just beef up security and try to move on?

[strudel]

WinstonWolf said:

Bill said:

We're going round in circles now and should probably agree to disagree.

She committed a crime in breaking in, he commited a crime in placing a pistol under her chin and pulling the trigger. I know what I consider both the greater crime and the act that directly resulted in her death.

We probably should But not quite yet

For me it's not about the magnitude of the crime, it is who had the opportunity to avoid it. They could have avoided it at any time by simply not breaking in.

You wouldn't blame a lion if you broke into the enclosure and it ate you to death...

A lion has no criminal responsibility.

The result of jaywalking is not for cars to speed up and mow you down. Yes you might get knocked over, but you would expect car drivers to take reasonable avoiding action. It's about reasonable expectations.

[WinstonWolf]

strudel said:

WinstonWolf said:

Bill said:

We're going round in circles now and should probably agree to disagree.

She committed a crime in breaking in, he commited a crime in placing a pistol under her chin and pulling the trigger. I know what I consider both the greater crime and the act that directly resulted in her death.

We probably should But not quite yet

For me it's not about the magnitude of the crime, it is who had the opportunity to avoid it. They could have avoided it at any time by simply not breaking in.

You wouldn't blame a lion if you broke into the enclosure and it ate you to death...

A lion has no criminal responsibility.

The result of jaywalking is not for cars to speed up and mow you down. Yes you might get knocked over, but you would expect car drivers to take reasonable avoiding action. It's about reasonable expectations.

I would reasonably expect to be shot if I broke into someone's house in America.

[KFC]

I don't see the problem with the guy lying in wait and then shooting them - its not like he spread rumours that there is $50k under the bed, or had someone else tell those teens to come burgle him.

If he figured they'd try and break in right (and he was obviously right on that front) then it would be better to let them do it in a controlled manner rather than when he's not home, or in bed sleeping.

I just can't understand the bit about finishing her off, and recording it all. It was never going to win him anything other than a one way ticket to jail... he should have shot her multiple times quickly in the first encounter and he wouldn't have been in any bother, and she'd be just as dead.

[Mr Snap]

TheJimi said:

I wonder how many posters in this thread have experienced being in their own home and hearing / seeing intruders breaking in.

That must be a fairly terrifying experience, the effect of which I think is being underestimated by many on this thread. At least by those who seem to think that he was wrong to shoot them.

(note: I'm separating concept of shooting them with the concept of him finishing her off)

Edited by TheJimi on Thursday 24th April 13:27

A few years ago, I was in bed with a young lady and, having retired there quite hurriedly, I forgot to lock the front door. That night the chap in the apartment above came home drunk and proceeded to stagger into my place by mistake. He was a little confused to be confronted by an 'excited' naked man attempting to manhandle him out of what he thought was his own home. But, being gay, I think he enjoyed my attentions (he did send me flowers afterwards..).

It was a bit of a shock but at no point did I consider killing him.

[stanwan]

Like a true psychopath, Smith has collected his kill trophy - a recording of the execution which he presents proudly to the outside world. Something tells me that this guy was just waiting patiently for this opportunity to arise

[Dan_1981]

Bill said:

Dan, agreed on all counts. It's not nice having someone in your house, but did you wait up at night with the lights off with your cricket bat or did you just beef up security and try to move on?

Obviously I did the latter.

We don't know that he hadn't already beefed up security though, do we?

And in honesty, if two weeks after we'd been broken into, someone (actually not just someone, the same person) did it again, and then a fortnight later I suspected they might be about to do it again.......

I might just be going to bed with the aforementioned cricket bat.

Sadly (for him) the nutter in this story went too far, but I understand the motive behind some of his actions.

[anonymous-user]

longblackcoat said:

Internet Hard Man Of The Month Award. Points deducted for not settling the matter with a roundhouse kick, but then not everyone can be Chuck Norris.

So you'd do what? Opt for a cup of tea and robust debate?

[B17NNS]

Dan_1981 said:

The wife went home to a ransacked house, intruders were long gone.

However it terrified her, and still does. She still has a genuine fear of leaving the house empty.

I can fully sympathise with anyone who shoots, stabs, attacks with cricket bat any intruder in their home.

I can fully sympathise with anyone that catches anyone that is trying to leave their property or running away.

Likewise with anyone who find someone attempting to get into their property.

What i'm struggling with however is the executing in cold blood bit.

Heat of the moment, yup fully understand, couple of scumbags down.

Shoot them, drag them across the floor and finish them off with a "kill shot", i'm struggling.

That's about where I'm at.

[Motorrad]

She was a popular role model though and I'm sure the other scrote was a promising sportsman.


As others have said you reap what you sow. In this case what they met was someone prepared to kill them in cold blood. Life's a bh.

[anonymous-user]

I'm not sure anyone is arguing the lassies kill shot was ott, but surely when the system has failed, its failed.

Blaming the victim after the fact isn't on. If someone must answer it should be a variety of police, prosecutors, judges, and legislators.

[wolves_wanderer]

TopOnePercent said:

So you'd do what? Opt for a cup of tea and robust debate?

Because a nice cup of tea and a chat is the only option apart from a fight to the death?

[jesusbuiltmycar]

stanwan said:

Like a true psychopath, Smith has collected his kill trophy - a recording of the execution which he presents proudly to the outside world. Something tells me that this guy was just waiting patiently for this opportunity to arise

I wonder how many nights he had to wait....

[anonymous-user]

wolves_wanderer said:

ecause a nice cup of tea and a chat is the only option apart from a fight to the death?

Reasonable people don't break into homes. You can't reason with unreasonable people.

What actions remain open to you depend on what you prioritise, the safety of the intruder, or the safety of your family.

If you think concern for the intruders safety makes you a better person, then rock on. Personally, I think it makes you a guardian liberal whose priorities are all wrong.

[wolves_wanderer]

I can't help thinking you've missed the point slightly but nevermind.

[anonymous-user]

wolves_wanderer said:

I can't help thinking you've missed the point slightly but nevermind.

So you do what?

Tell them to leave? Great, if they do. If not, you gave up the element of surprise, and now face a potentially armed intruder set on butchering you, and your wife before raping your dog.

Or, you could hit them with your fist and pull your punches a little. Same result as above.

Or you can pick up something heavy or another weapon and use the element of surprise to make your first hit count. At that point your committed to a fight until one of you stops hitting back.

None of your options when faced with an intruder or intruders is great. That's just a fact. But I can't think of anything worse than seeing my family harmed while knowing I could have prevented it, so my choice will always be to use the best weapon available to do the most damage I can.

Your dog will thank you for it.

[Boydie88]

What I find very odd is how he had the whole scenario recorded, from the moment the glass was broken - assuringly when the guy broke in? Has it mentioned somewhere he has an audio recorder set up 24/7?

[bstb3]

TopOnePercent said:

But I can't think of anything worse than seeing my family harmed while knowing I could have prevented it, so my choice will always be to use the best weapon available to do the most damage I can.

I think few would argue with that bit, but when said weapon incapacitates but doesn't kill said felon, then what? I suspect most would call the police, neighbours etc etc for help. They probably woudn't get busy with a chainsaw. Which, unfortunately if this character somehow gets away with it, becomes a legal possibility (or at least might give the impression it was) in this particular state. It would be a Psychopath's charter IMO.