Stand Your Ground

Markus Kaarma was found guilty of the deliberate homicide of German exchange student Diren Dede in Missoula on Wednesday afternoon.

The man who lived next door to Markus Kaarma and Janelle Pflager on the night of the shooting testified that Janelle Pflager asked him about Montana gun laws on or about April 22, leading to a brief discussion of the Stand Your Ground defense. Five days later, Markus Kaarma fatally shot German exchange student Diren Dede, who was trespassing in his garage.

The Missoula County Attorney's Office opens its case today against Markus Kaarma, the Missoula man accused in the shooting death of a 17 year-old German exchange student who was inside his darkened garage.

After the George Zimmerman trial and not-guilty verdict in Florida, there is a heightened local interest in self-defense. Gary Marbut, President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association is qualified as an expert witness in matters of self-defense and use-of-force.