A Montana man was sentenced to 70 years in prison on Thursday for killing a German exchange student after he entered his garage in a case that has captured international attention since the April 2014 incident.
Markus Kaarma, a 30-year-old Missoula homeowner, was found guilty in December of deliberate homicide in the death of 17-year-old Diren Dede, who died April 27 after the homeowner thought he was a burglar and open fired without warning into his garage.
Kaarma will not be eligible for parole for at least 20 years, a fate Missoula District Judge Ed McLean made clear was what he deserved. The Missoulian reported.
"You pose too great a risk to society to be anywhere else but the Montana State Prison," McLean said, adding that Kaarma's actions were fueled by his anger towards the world.
"(Your anxiety) doesn't excuse the anguish you have caused. Anxiety isn't an excuse. You didn't protect your residence, you went hunting. And here you have a 12-gauge shotgun that's loaded. Not to protect your family but to go after somebody," the judge said according to The Missoulian.
Kaarma, a former firefighter, claimed he thought Dede was an intruder and feared for his life when the teen entered his garage and triggered his motion sensors. Under Montana law, homeowners are allowed to use deadly force to protect themselves.
But evidence presented by prosecutors showed Kaarma told someone before the incident he was staying up nights to shoot an intruder after a previous burglary at his home. The homeowner wanted to set a trap and left his garage open the night of the murder, prosecutors said.
It's still unclear what Dede, who was studying at Big Sky High School, was doing the night he entered Kaarma's garage. A friend previously told investigators they were playing a game called "garage hopping."
Officials also said Kaarma did not seem to have any remorse for the incident, The Missoulian reported.
"I'm sorry my actions caused the death of Mr. Dede," Kaarma told judge McLean, the AP reported.
Dede's parents attended the whole trial and flew back from Germany for the sentencing. They testified about their grief, heartache and how everyday life is now a struggle without their son.
"It is justice," Dede told the AP of the sentencing. "I am not happy. My son is dead."
