There are better things to do with two teenage burglars in your basement than shoothing them. Just sayin.
The guy was obviously a little fucked up. The article said the loony had already lost some stuff before, so I can almost understand why he'd be a little off. He had a 'keep out' sign up. I imagine that people in the community knew to avoid this fellow. Still, kids fucked with him. He retreated to his basement when he thought he was being burglarized; he obviously was not looking to attack anyone. However, when the little shits came down the stairs, he was cornered. Obviously we can't let killers just chill in their houses, but this guy needs help. I think he'll probably get it.
It is obvious that he was retreating into his basement. He was probably shaken from previous break-ins. Nonetheless, the "castle doctrine" laws do not give you the license to kill, especially after there is no longer a threat. He may be ignorant enough to believe burglars carry weapons (they rarely carry even a knife), but you don't justify more rounds because of a "short laugh" (probably realized how retarded she was). The charges are justifiable and he will be sentenced for at least 50yrs (i.e. life). I did laugh, though, that he thought it was a "good clean finishing shot" after shooting her after a dozen times and blowing up her skull in the end.
Those kids were dumbasses, the fuck did they think was going to happen? According to the actual law in Minnesota, he was entirely in the right, as long as he can prove that they were intending to commit a felony. Which breaking and entering tends to be classified as.
The "preventing the commission of a felony" was done when he shot them in the stairwell and was easily dragging them across the floor. In his own testimony, they were still alive before dealing the fatal headshots. In the girl's case, he is emptying his revolver on a disabled teen on the ground after she let out a "hah", then taking a final shot upwards against her throat. He especially admits to murdering them.
We have the conceal and carry law as well, or what I like to call the cowboy law. But yea he used excessive force, and he waited a day to call his neighbor to call the police.
Yeah, and if you're just robbing someone, why do you need to go down to the basement? I feel like the dipshits were just looking taunt the poor man. But when he shot them on the stairs with his rifle, they were no longer capable of committing a felony and he can no longer lawfully use lethal force on them. If at that point he called 911 and made a reasonable attempt at saving their lives, he would probably have been fine. In my opinion, the man needs help and he wouldn't get help if he would've acted that way. Because he killed those morons and is chillingly frank about it, he will get the help he needs. It's 'Merica, not Merica'. The latter makes no sense. The word is being shortened at the beginning, not the end.
I could easily see him getting reduced charges to voluntary manslaughter if he can reasonably argue that he had an honest belief that his life was in danger as in an imperfect self-defense, or that he was provoked, or claim heat of passion. Also, he's getting charged with only second degree murder, which in Minnesota carries a term of 40 years max. 15 years max if he can argue voluntary manslaughter. This obviously wasn't first degree murder.
I was more pointing it out to people who think he could get life for it. It's obvious that he's getting charged with second degree, but apparently it isn't obvious to everyone.
He'll plead insanity and get the help that he actually needs. There's no way in hell that they will put an old man that went for "a good clean kill" in prison. He will likely never walk free again, but he will get help. Everyone wants revenge, but you can't always hold people accountable for their actions. And as long as he can't hurt anyone else (especially himself), what's the problem?
You make it sound easy to pull off an insanity plea. Even if he has an actual mental disorder, and it takes more than a few quotations to actually form a semi-cohesive diagnosis, it doesn't mean he'll get off on an insanity plea. It's far more likely that the charge for killing the boy will get reduced to voluntary manslaughter, though it'd be much harder to argue that killing the girl involved provocation or that he was still in heat of passion. I'd say he'd get 25 years minimum with that. But yeah, in the end he's most likely going to be locked up for the rest of his life.
It is obvious to everyone that read the article that he will be charged for second-degree murder. And yes, second-degree murder can lead to a life sentence (especially with these horrible series of events). Even if he gets the minimum sentence, I would consider it life with his age. He will leave prison at a very old age (probably probation & mental counseling afterwards) and will be banned, in theory, from acquiring another weapon. Secondly, did you even read the article? Voluntary manslaughter? You are no longer in the "heat of passion" if you can casually walk up to the guy's laying body and shoot him in the face because you "want him dead." Manslaughter is off-the-table for both cases as he clearly stated that he wanted to make sure that they died. On related news: https://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/20...lty-to-shooting-teen-to-death-over-loud-music Old White Guy. Florida. "Stand Your Ground" Law. Dead Black Teen. These things write on their own.