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Little Falls Man Released From Jail After Posting Recently Lowered Bail

12/18/2012 - 1:00 AM

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (AP) - A central Minnesota man charged with killing two teenage cousins who broke into his home on Thanksgiving is out of jail.

Morrison County jail officials say 64-year-old Byron David Smith, of rural Little Falls, posted $50,000 cash as conditional bail on Tuesday morning. His bail was originally $2 million without conditions, or $1 million with conditions.

Judge Douglas Anderson cut Smith's bail sharply Monday despite a plea by prosecutor Todd Kosovich (KAH'-she-vitch) to double or even triple it. Kosovich said the shootings of 17-year-old Nick Brady and 18-year-old Halie Kifer were an ambush, not self-defense.

But defense attorney Steve Meshbesher said Smith wants to stay in Little Falls and defend himself against the second-degree murder charges.

Smith told investigators his home had been burglarized several times before the Thanksgiving break-in.