Marcus Kaarma has been criminally charged with the deliberate homicide death of 17 year old German exchange student Diren Dede. Kaarma is alleged to have left his garage door partially open and been monitoring for trespassers via baby monitor and even “baiting” potential thieves by leaving a purse inside the garage. The ploy apparently worked, as Dede and another person entered the garage for unknown reasons. Kaarma then grabbed a shotgun and went into the garage and proceeded to fire four shots into the dark, two of which fatally injured Dede.
Kaarma is utilizing a criminal self defense area known as the Castle doctrine which allows the resident of a home the right to defend himself and his home with deadly force when a forcible felony occurs within the home. However, the person using that force must believe they are at risk of serious injury or death before using deadly force themselves. Prosecutors don’t believe that Dede was committing a forcible felony, and that Kaarma essentially trapped the two in the garage with the intent to kill them before identifying who they were, why they were there, or if he was in actual threat of serious injury or death. What do you think about the Castle doctrine in relation to this case?
Marty is a former criminal prosecutor in the Cascade County Attorney’s Office and now uses that experience to defend those accused of crimes. A University of Montana School of Law graduate, Marty focuses his practice on personal injury and criminal defense and is a premier DUI defense attorney. He is also well versed in the insurance claims industry and has negotiated significant settlements with nearly every major insurance company.