Pete Orput to Prosecute Little Falls Thanksgiving Day Homicide Case

The Washington County Attorney's Office will prosecute the Little Falls homicide case of a 64-year-old man who is accused of shooting two teens who broke into his home on Thanksgiving.

Orput told the Pioneer Press the Minnesota County Attorneys Association called him on behalf of the Morrison County attorney's office to ask if he’d try the case.

The case, the president of the county attorneys association told Orput, is that the case would be contentious because of the gun issue.

"If that's a challenge,” Orput told the Pioneer Press, “I want it.”

Morrison County will pay per diem for mileage, meals and rooms if necessary, Orput told Stillwater Patch on Wednesday.

“The attorney time is not billed, but county attorneys routinely take conflict cases for each other and when my office gets a conflict we can send it to Morrison County to handle to make up for the time I spend on their case,” he said.

Byron Smith is charged with second-degree murder in the deaths of Haile Kifer, 18, and Nicholas Brady, 17, two cousins who were repeatedly shot after they broke into Smith’s home.

Smith has posted bail. An omnibus hearing is scheduled for Jan. 22.

Orput told the Pioneer Press he has "reviewed and prosecuted cases that involve the concept of defense of dwelling" and thinks this is a good case to present to a jury.

Last year the Washington County Attorney’s Office worked on about 25 cases for other counties Orput said.