Podcast Summary: Going West – Murder on Elm Street // Episode 554
Air Date: November 14, 2025
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft & Heath Merryman
Podcast: Going West: True Crime
Overview
This episode tackles the chilling and controversial double homicide on Thanksgiving Day, 2012, in Little Falls, Minnesota. Hosts Daphne and Heath dissect how Byron Smith killed teenagers Haley Kiefer and Nick Brady after they broke into his home. The episode navigates the blurred lines between self-defense and premeditated retribution while exploring legal and moral questions around Minnesota’s Castle Doctrine, the backgrounds of all those involved, and the community impact of the tragedy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Stage
- Location: Little Falls, MN – "a small town... only about 9,000 people." (03:23)
- Victims: Cousins Haley Kiefer (18) and Nick Brady (17) – described as "vivacious and bubbly," highly active and athletic teens with close family ties. (03:23)
- Perpetrator: Byron Smith (64), Vietnam vet and former State Department worker, recently described as "a recluse" whose behavior became increasingly paranoid after claiming multiple burglaries at his isolated home. (09:15)
2. Timeline & Circumstances of the Crime
- Haley and Nick failed to show up to Thanksgiving dinner; families worried, then reported them missing. (06:54)
- Police soon informed families both teens had been shot and killed during an alleged break-in. (09:15)
- Nick had previously done yard work for Byron and was suspected of burglarizing his home before. (09:15)
- Byron had reported several break-ins to the police, though only one or two were officially logged. (09:15)
3. The Murders
- Events: Security footage caught the teens casing Byron’s property (13:11). Byron claimed he heard glass breaking, shot Nick first as he came down the stairs (13:11).
- Byron then deliberately dragged Nick’s body aside and shot Haley multiple times as she descended after (13:11–15:31).
- Gruesome Details: "She was shot five more times, including a shot in her eye and directly under her chin... Byron explained in his interrogation: 'If you're trying to shoot someone and they laugh at you, you go again, right?'" – Daphne (14:49)
- Byron claimed Haley laughed after being shot, but audio evidence contradicted him. (15:40)
4. Audio Evidence & Byron's Mindset
- Byron audio-recorded the entire ordeal, including his own narration directly after the killings.
- Quote: "I refuse to live in fear. I am not a bleeding heart liberal. I felt like I was cleaning up a mess... they weren't human. I see them as vermin." – Byron Smith, [18:02–21:22]
- Hosts highlight how disturbing and pre-justified his commentary was—suggesting possible premeditation. (21:39)
- The recording was pivotal evidence at trial, painting Byron as vengeful, not merely defensive. (21:28, 54:21)
5. Events After the Killing
- Byron waited 24 hours before notifying anyone; told police he didn’t want to "ruin the Thanksgiving holiday for the deputies on duty." – Heath (32:09)
- He first called a neighbor/lawyer before police were informed. (32:09)
- Byron had moved his car off his property, which police saw as possible evidence he set a trap or lured the teens. (34:12)
6. Legal & Community Reactions
- Byron confessed to killing the teens, maintaining self-defense under Castle Doctrine. (27:27)
- Evidence found in Nick’s car linked him to stolen items from Byron’s and another neighbor’s home. (29:16, 30:10)
- Community torn: Some see Byron as a victim of chronic theft, others as a vigilante who used excessive force. (45:06–49:13)
- Minnesota’s Castle Doctrine: Deadly force must be "absolutely necessary" and the resident must try to flee first. Byron's actions were not seen as such. (46:43–47:08)
7. Trial & Aftermath
- Byron set up his recording device before the teens' arrival, and audio captured him muttering, hinting at premeditation ("in your left eye" before shooting Haley in her left eye). (38:44)
- A judge ruled prior burglaries inadmissible; defense hampered by inability to fully discuss victims’ criminal histories. (50:36–52:08)
- Quote: "The jury found the murders to be overkill and a grotesque use of unnecessary force." – Daphne (54:21)
- Byron convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life; subsequent appeals denied. (54:30–55:25)
- Families of the victims expressed that while entering Byron’s home was wrong, his response was indefensible and robbed them of a chance to atone and learn. (54:30–55:25)
- Byron recently sued the detective-author of a book about the case, claiming defamation. (55:25)
Notable Quotes & Highlights (with Timestamps)
- Daphne [02:10]: "Today's case is very controversial... I'm sure there's going to be a lot of comments on each side of the aisle."
- Heath [09:15]: "Nick knew the man whose home he had broken into... Byron Smith had been the one who shot Haley and Nick."
- Daphne quoting Byron [14:49]: "'If you're trying to shoot someone and they laugh at you, you go again, right?' I mean that's a psychopathic thing to say."
- Heath [16:26]: "As disturbing as it is, we want to play the audio from the break in because it really paints the most accurate scene..."
- Byron Smith (audio) [18:02]: "I refuse to live in fear... I see them as vermin. This bitch was going to go through her life spoiling things for other people."
- Daphne [23:49]: "...when Haley was coming down the stairs... probably at that point [to Byron] she was not armed... But then he continues to shoot."
- Heath [29:27]: "Proving that Nick is kind of like a serial thief at this point... knew he had done it to Byron."
- Daphne [34:04]: "With the length of the driveway that he has, he could just move it towards the end... This is not adding up."
- Heath [45:06]: "He almost made it too easy for them and seemed to have baited them into coming..."
- Daphne [54:21]: "The jury found the murders to be overkill and a grotesque use of unnecessary force."
- Laurie Skipper, Haley’s aunt [54:30]: "'Byron Smith made a conscious choice to shoot and kill our beautiful daughter Haley. The feelings of helplessness are overwhelming.'"
Important Timestamps
- 03:23: Victim & town background
- 06:54: Thanksgiving Day disappearance
- 09:15: Police inform families, Byron’s background
- 13:11: The break-in and shooting
- 14:49: Forensic/scenes details – shots fired, Byron’s justifications
- 16:26–21:22: Audio clip of the killing and Byron’s own post-murder narration
- 27:27: Byron’s post-crime actions & police interrogation
- 32:09: Byron’s 24-hr delay in reporting
- 45:06: Community debate, Castle Doctrine explanation
- 50:36–54:30: Trial, legal arguments, verdict, sentencing
- 55:25: Lawsuits and aftermath
Final Thoughts
The episode maintains a balanced tone, emphasizing the tragic double loss and community confusion around the definitions and limits of self-defense. It underscores how the evidence—especially the recording—shifted community and jury views toward seeing Byron Smith’s response as deliberate overkill, not justified protection, and how legal boundaries for defense in one’s home are not always as clear-cut as they seem.
For further discussion and images of the case, listeners are encouraged to visit the @goingwestpodcast Instagram and Facebook pages.