Markus Kaarma, the Montana man convicted last December of the murder of German exchange student Diren Dede was sentenced this week to 70 years in prison, as reported by the Dickinson Press. Kaarma is 30 years old, and will not be eligible for parole until he is 50.
Kaarma was presented as having lured Dede into his garage with the explicit intention of using deadly force against him once Dede had been drawn into the trap. Numerous witnesses testified to Kaarma expressing such intent in the days leading up to the killing. Kaarma was angry that other items had previously been stolen from his garage, including some marijuana belonging to Kaarma.
Judge Ed McLean said Kaarma’s actions were alarming and stemmed in part from an earlier incident in which marijuana belonging to Kaarma was stolen.
“You weren’t killing to protect your family, you were angry someone stole your grass two weeks before. You were angry with the world,” the judge said.
Legal Insurrection covered the Kaarma case in considerable detail, including in these posts:
Trial Underway of Homeowner Accused of “Baiting” Intruder
VERDICT WATCH: Montana Homeowner Accused of “Baiting” Intruder
GUILTY: Montana Homeowner Who “Baited” Intruder Convicted
–-Andrew, @LawSelfDefense
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Andrew F. Branca is an MA lawyer and the author of the seminal book “The Law of Self Defense, 2nd Edition,” available at the Law of Self Defense blog (autographed copies available) and Amazon.com (paperback and Kindle). He also holds Law of Self Defense Seminars around the country, and provides free online self-defense law video lectures at the Law of Self Defense Institute and podcasts through iTunes, Stitcher, and elsewhere.
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