Jury selection begins in Minnesota homeowner trial

Published 10:28 am Tuesday, April 15, 2014

LITTLE FALLS — Jury selection is underway in the trial of a central Minnesota man who claims self-defense when he fatally shot two teenagers in his home.

Five jurors were chosen Monday on the first day of the murder trial of 65-year-old Byron Smith of Little Falls. He faces two counts of premeditated first-degree murder for the 2012 killings of 17-year-old Nick Brady and 18-year-old Haile Kifer.

About 130 Morrison County residents received jury duty notices for the trial. Prospective jurors will fill out a questionnaire that asks them about their thoughts on gun control.

Email newsletter signup

Smith claims he was defending himself when he shot the teens after they entered his home. But authorities say he went too far, shooting them multiple times after they were no longer a threat.