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Jury Selected in Shooting Death of German Exchange Student

Deliberate homicide trial underway in Missoula District Court

By Associated Press

MISSOULA – Jury selection began Monday in the trial of a Montana man charged with fatally shooting a German exchange student who broke into his garage.

The case against Markus Kaarma centers on whether he justifiably feared another home invasion because his Missoula residence was burglarized twice before. He is charged with deliberate homicide in the April 27 death of Diren Dede, 17, of Hamburg.

Defense attorneys argue Kaarma was protecting his home and family, while prosecutors argue Kaarma deliberately tried to lure the victim into his dark garage by leaving out a purse and keeping the garage doors partially open.

Dede’s parents, Celal and Gulcin Dede, were in the courtroom Monday, and his mother wore a T-shirt bearing his photo.

The court called 120 potential jurors. District Judge Ed McLean has scheduled three weeks for the trial.

Several potential jurors were dismissed due to physical ailments and work conflicts while two others were excused after saying they had been the victim of a theft and couldn’t remain impartial, the Missoulian reported.

Prosecutors say Kaarma was watching a video monitor and saw a dark figure in his garage the night of the shooting. They say he grabbed his shotgun, exited the front door, turned to face the partially open garage door and fired four shots into the darkness.

A friend told police he was with Dede the night it happened. The Ecuadorian exchange student, Robby Pazmino, said they were walking down the street, and he watched as Dede entered the garage.

Pazmino told police he heard an unfamiliar voice say, “I see you there.” He ran off after hearing the first shot, according to court documents.

German prosecutors said in May that they planned to open their own investigation. German law allows them to prosecute offenses committed against German citizens on foreign soil, they said.