20/20 Castle Doctrine

[Gracie]

Exchange student is shot and killed, and the home owner sentenced to 70 years for murder. Long story, so I won't go into detail in the event y'all are familiar with the case.

So my question is.......you have been robbed twice. Someone enters your open garage door at night and you shoot him.

Are you a murderer?

 

[Gracie]

Found a link so you can read the story.

Montana homeowner who shot dead unarmed German exchange student trespassing in his garage gets 70 years Daily Mail Online

 

[theDoctorisIn]

If you leave the door open as bait, and lie in wait for someone to come in so you could shoot them, then apparently yes.

 

[Gracie]

What they did was totally wrong. But the kid would still be alive if he would have not entered a home he was not invited to enter in to. The guy deserved some time, yes. But 70 years???

 

[Politico]

Exchange student is shot and killed, and the home owner sentenced to 70 years for murder. Long story, so I won't go into detail in the event y'all are familiar with the case.

So my question is.......you have been robbed twice. Someone enters your open garage door at night and you shoot him.

Are you a murderer?

Not if you stage the scene right.

 

[there4eyeM]

Just shooting someone to death would be considered murder, yes. We can imagine any number of extenuating circumstances, but put just this way, it is simple.

 

[Gracie]

There was much arguing back and forth about this situation....that German folks couldn't understand why america shoots people that walk in homes uninvited. They just couldn't get the concept of WHY they would shoot someone.
Then there was the shooter saying he feared for his family. I get that. I get that he set up the robber(s) and even left bait. What I don't get is, is you can only use the same force to protect yourself that the perp is using to rob yer ass. But if it is a dark garage or living room, how does one know what the perp has as a weapon? Does one ask before shooting? And what happens when someone enters the home with the intent to murder and rape but you shoot his ass before he can but YOU go to jail for killing him?
ANYONE that walks into a private home uninvited is there with not good intentions, but its a no no to protect your infant, toddlers, tweens, teens, spouse?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Exchange student is shot and killed, and the home owner sentenced to 70 years for murder. Long story, so I won't go into detail in the event y'all are familiar with the case.

So my question is.......you have been robbed twice. Someone enters your open garage door at night and you shoot him.

Are you a murderer?

With no other details, entirely depends on your state's laws. Some states you could do it with no warning, others you couldn't. Depends.

 

[there4eyeM]

The 'right' to shoot someone, then, depends on the state, and not on God?