Shed Booby Trap = Murder One Conviction

MossRoad · Sep 14, 2019

While I don't have much sympathy for the dead burglar, and I can understand the possible frustration of the property owner per the reports of multiple past break-ins, you can't just set traps for humans hoping to kill the correct one over a principle.

According to the article:

Goetten (the special prosecutor) pointed to multiple interviews played during the state's case, in which Wasmund (the man found guilty) told authorities there was nothing worth anyone's life in there. He told investigators that he wouldn't have shot a complete stranger over that crap. (bold underline by me)

source: Chester man convicted in booby-trap murder | Crime/Courts | thesouthern.com

Yet apparently the jury thinks he would and did. Over what? If not "that crap", then what? He got frustrated, and set out to intentionally kill the person or persons responsible. He thought about it before he did it. It wasn't spur of the moment, fight or flight, self defense. It was well thought out over time. He made a bad decision and now has to pay for it, as did the burglar.

"First-degree murder is the most serious of all homicide offenses. It involves any intentional murder that is willful and premeditated with malice aforethought. Premeditation requires that the defendant planned the murder before it was committed or was lying in wait for the victim. "

source: First-Degree Murder Law | Justia

The facts presented in the article seem to fit the definition of first-degree murder.

5030 · Sep 14, 2019

I still maintain that is what happened to Jimmy Hoffa. He got run through a commercial chipper.

MossRoad · Sep 14, 2019

5030 said:
I still maintain that is what happened to Jimmy Hoffa. He got run through a commercial chipper.

I think that would make such a mess, and possibly blow evidence over the chipper, the truck towing it, the area where it was done, etc... that no one would use it. There's been a few cases, but it's not a good way, if we're keeping score.

I'd guess he's buried in a corn field and the guy(s) that did it are now in a different corn field. Anytime more than one person knows about a crime, they become a liability to each other. Paranoia and distrust eventually take over reason. If everyone would just stick with the plan.... but no. Someone cracks.

So my advice is, if you choose a life of crime, go solo.

As the old saying goes....

There's more than corn in Indiana....

2LaneCruzer · Sep 15, 2019

k0ua said:
I believe they are illegal everywhere. I know for sure they are here in Missouri.

They were illegal under English common law, going back centuries. I recall a similar case in Iowa; the burglar sued the farmer that set the spring gun, he won, and the farmer had to sell his farm to pay off the judgement. In this case, it was an empty house, and people had been breaking; this guy was looking for old fruit jars.

2LaneCruzer · Sep 15, 2019

MossRoad said:
I think that would make such a mess, and possibly blow evidence over the chipper, the truck towing it, the area where it was done, etc... that no one would use it. There's been a few cases, but it's not a good way, if we're keeping score.

I'd guess he's buried in a corn field and the guy(s) that did it are now in a different corn field. Anytime more than one person knows about a crime, they become a liability to each other. Paranoia and distrust eventually take over reason. If everyone would just stick with the plan.... but no. Someone cracks.

So my advice is, if you choose a life of crime, go solo.

As the old saying goes....

There's more than corn in Indiana....

I believe the body was frozen...and Hoffa...seems like I heard they ran him through a sausage factory.

tjkubota93 · Sep 15, 2019

I saw a forensic files where a girl was killed by boyfriend. At one point they put her in a freezer. The detective made the city keep it for many years. Sure enough, years later, DNA tech came far enough. They took it apart and found enough DNA to convict, in a small spot where wires passed through.

Its amazing how some of these people get caught!

MossRoad · Sep 15, 2019

2LaneCruzer said:
They were illegal under English common law, going back centuries. I recall a similar case in Iowa; the burglar sued the farmer that set the spring gun, he won, and the farmer had to sell his farm to pay off the judgement. In this case, it was an empty house, and people had been breaking; this guy was looking for old fruit jars.

You're close on the facts... that was Katko V Briney. The property owner had to sell 80 of his 120 acres to pay the judgement. 3 of hi neighbor bought the property for $1 more than the minimum bid. In a weird twist, the property owner and the shot burglar joined together in a lawsuit to sue one of the 3 purchasers who sold his share for a profit.

Read about it here...
Katko v. Briney - Wikipedia