Fearing burglars, Montana man fatally shoots teen exchange student in garage

Pioneer Press ^ | 4-29-14 | Matt Volz and Amy Beth Hanson

[TurboZamboni]

HELENA, Mont. -- A western Montana man charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old exchange student in his garage is receiving death threats and is afraid to leave his home, the man's attorney said Tuesday.

Markus Kaarma, 29, was released from jail Monday after posting a $30,000 bond on a charge of deliberate homicide in the death of Diren Dede of Hamburg, Germany. Since then, Kaarma, his partner Janelle Pflager and their 10-month-old baby won't leave their Missoula home after receiving the threats, attorney Paul Ryan said.

"They're really on edge about what's going to happen to them and their baby. They're captives in their own home," he said.

Kaarma is a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service who moved to Missoula a few months ago. He originally is from Mercer Island, Wash., and he moved to Montana to pursue his dream job in a place where he wants to raise his family, Ryan said.

Kaarma and Pflager's home had been burgled twice since they moved in a few months ago and they were frustrated and disappointed in the lack of police assistance, the attorney said.

Just days before the shooting, Kaarma told a woman that his house had been burglarized a couple of times and he had been waiting up for three nights with his shotgun to shoot "some f------ kid," court records said.

Prosecutors allege Kaarma set up sensors

[TurboZamboni]

I wonder if he had the sign: "If you're found here at night, you'll be found here in the morning."

[glorgau]

He left out bait for the local critters and some critter took it. F em. My house got robbed twice in a year - the second time they took the electrical and plumbing - I’d still shoot them if I found them.

[MrEdd]

Not a good idea to rob homes at night, even if you are a popular exotic foreigner.

He’s still popular evidently.
But he’s dead.

Tiny violins.

[TurboZamboni]

I guess if Hansel and Greta don’t want to get shot, stay out of stranger’s garages at night when a guest in a foreign country.

[from occupied ga]

Kaarma told investigators he heard the sensors go off early Sunday, spotted someone in the garage on the video and went outside with his shotgun.

It sounds to me like the guy killed WAS in the process of burglarizing the garage. What will trip up the shooter in his trial is that he deliberately set a trap for the burglar. You're not allowed to kill burglars just because they're taking your stuff (Although you not only should be allowed, but given a bounty for it. This is one time I'd actually want to be on the jury.)

[Controlling Legal Authority]

Talk about some bad Kaarma!

[JRandomFreeper]

Depends on what state you are in. In Texas, you can use deadly force to stop a burglary at night.

/johnny

[TurboZamboni]

not being able to redistribute the wealth at will without consequence makes democrats very sad.

that’s why they oppose ‘Castle Doctrine’. It thins the herd of their constituents.

[petitfour]

But a cop can shoot and kill a burglar with no repercussions.

[iowamark]

Is it Bad Karma to rob Kaarma?

[from occupied ga]

Kaarma told a woman that his house had been burglarized a couple of times and he had been waiting up for three nights with his shotgun to shoot "some f------ kid,"

Big mistake to tell someone you intend to shoot someone, and then shoot someone. Establishes premeditation. I think this guy is going to get screwed in the courts.

[cicero2k]

This is a Minnesota report on a Montana event. “Exchange student” makes the perp sound like a confused innocent. In reality he was participating in a deliberate burgulary. The homeowner was on watch with a shotgun, though he did bait the break in.

Still, the headline reads like it was written from a liberal bias, which it was.

[PowderMonkey]

"Kaarma told a woman that his house had been burglarized a couple of times and he had been waiting up for three nights with his shotgun to shoot "some f------ kid," court records said."

A warning to others: this guy may or may not have committed a righteous shoot. Time will tell. Regardless, all anybody will ever remember is his reported desire to shoot "some f--- kid." When it comes to 2nd amendment and self-defense issues, watch what you say to friends and neighbors, and be especially circumspect when posting comments on Internet forums. Words uttered in a fit of emotion or keyboard commando bravado will come back to bite you during the course of discovery in a court of law. Big time. And, never, ever talk to the press. They are not your friend.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The only thing this guy did wrong was violate the SS&SU principle.

[from occupied ga]

But a cop can shoot and kill a burglar with no repercussions.

A cop can kill anyone with no repercussions. The government takes a dim view of peasants defending their property and their lives. The peasants might get the idea that their lives don't belong to the government.

[TurboZamboni]

If you’re the police, they call it a “sting operation”.

[Uncle Chip]

Kaarma should have waited for the verdict from the Byron Smith trial before baiting his trap, leaving his garage door open, and sitting up all night hoping to kill some f*%#^*@ kids.

This won’t go well for him either.

[TurboZamboni]

MN does not have the “Castle” law. Also, the Montana guy did’nt hang out with the dead body for 24 hrs before calling police nor do point blank “kill shot”.

[from occupied ga]

The reality is that you can't shovel the death of a person - too hard to hide. Where he screwed up big time was in talking about what he wanted to do ahead of time. He shouldn't have said anything to anyone. If I were going to bait a trap for a burglar, I wouldn't even tell my wife. What other people don't know they can't testify to in court.

I guess we should add third comandment to:

1. Thou shalt not ever consent to a search by police
2. Thou shalt not ever talk to police
3. Thou shalt no ever tell anyone your plans to do anything that might land you in court.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

All I meant was he shouldn’t have talked about his little sting operation.