MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The man who shot and killed two teenagers who entered his home has been released from prison, after posting bail Tuesday morning.
Sixty-four-year-old Byron Smith is accused of shooting Haile Kifer, 18, and Nick Brady, 17, after he says they broke into his home on Thanksgiving.
A source tells WCCO that Smith’s family had been working hard to come up with money after his bail was dramatically reduced.
Over the strong objection of prosecutors, Smith’s bail was reduced from a $1 million bond or $100,000 cash to $500,000 dollar bond or $50,000 cash.
If Smith went for the cash option, someone had to walk into the jail with $50,000 in bills. If he opted for the bond route, that involves a bail bondsman and someone putting up something for collateral.
Smith did agree to surrender his passport. His defense attorney will not comment where Smith will go now that he is released from jail.
Emotions are running very high in Little Falls after the details of how he repeatedly shot the teen intruders — even after, by his own admission, they were clearly disabled.
And the fact that this was all captured on his surveillance video has inflamed emotions further.
