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Byron David Smith was in his basement on Thanksgiving Day, minding his own business when he heard a window break upstairs. Then he heard someone enter his home. Byron grabbed his gun and waited quietly as the intruder roamed the house. When the intruder came down the stairs, Byron fired his gun three times. The intruder, 17-year-old Nicholas Brady, died. Ten minutes later, another intruder entered Byron\\u2019s home. It was 18-year-old Haile Kifer. Byron killed her, too -- shooting her six times. On the surface, it seemed that Byron had acted within his legal rights. In Minnesota, a person may use deadly force to prevent a felony from taking place in their home or dwelling. But as investigators soon discovered, this case wasn\\u2019t clear cut, and Byron wasn\\u2019t as innocent as he seemed. \\xa0

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Then Brandi tells us about a \\u201cnormal, middle class family,\\u201d but we all know where this story is headed. Chris and Tina Lunney were living what appeared to be a pretty comfortable life in New Jersey. They had two children, and had asked Tina\\u2019s mother to come live with them. From the outside looking in, it seemed that everything was going well. But then one day, Tina called Chris in a panic. Her mother, Marie Zoppi, had died by suicide. She hadn\\u2019t seemed unhappy, but she\\u2019d taken her life. Or had she?

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And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

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\\u201c12 minutes on Elm street\\u201d episode of Dateline

\\u201cCourt to announce jury\\u2019s verdict in Byron Smith murder trial,\\u201d by Ashli Overlund for WJON News

\\u201cMN Supreme Court upholds Byron Smith conviction,\\u201d by Allen Costantini for KARE 11

\\u201cGraphic audio released by courts of Byron Smith as he guns down two teens in his Minnesota basement,\\u201d Associated Press

\\u201cLittle Falls man found guilty on all four counts of murder,\\u201d Associated Press\\xa0

\\u201cCastle Doctrine,\\u201d entry on Wikipedia

\\u201cByron David Smith killings,\\u201d entry on Wikipedia\\xa0

\\u201cByron David Smith,\\u201d entry on Murderpedia

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\\u201cTina Lunney\\u201d episode Snapped

\\u201cState of New Jersey v. Tina Lunney\\u201d law.justia.com\\n

\\u201cProsecutor: Fairfield woman killed mother, 81, staged it to look like a suicide\\u201d by Julia Terruso, The Star-Ledger

\\u201cHusband reads letter to jurors where wife confesses to murdering her mother\\u201d by Julia Terruso, The Star-Ledger

\\u201cFairfield woman told police she strangled mother with necktie\\u201d by Julia Terruso, The Star-Ledger

\\u201cJury convicts Fairfield woman of strangling her mother\\u201d by Julia Terruso, The Star-Ledger