Byron Smith will learn his fate on Wednesday.

The Minnesota Supreme Court notified attorneys Monday that the court will release a decision on the appeal of the Little Falls man convicted of shooting two teenage intruders in his home on Thanksgiving Day, 2012.

Smith's case drew national attention amid debate over so-called castle doctrine laws, raising questions about how far a homeowner can go to defend himself and his property.

A Morrison County jury deliberated for about three hours before convicting Smith in April 2014 of four counts of murder. He is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors portrayed Smith, now 67, as a vigilante who sat waiting for burglars in his home, then coldly executed 18-year-old Haile Kifer and 17-year-old Nick Brady by continuing to shoot them after they no longer posed a threat. A surveillance-style audio recording that Smith had set up chilled the courtroom with sounds of gunshots booming, of the two teenagers groaning and screaming and then of Smith muttering how he saw them as "vermin" as they lay wrapped in tarps on his floor.

Smith had claimed he was terrified after prior break-ins and was defending himself and his property. His attorneys claimed the trial contained a host of errors, including the judge prohibiting them from giving a complete defense, improperly closing the courtroom and failing to properly instruct the jury on a disputed claim made in closing arguments.

In Minnesota, a person can take a life to avert death or great bodily harm or to prevent a felony in his or her home. Juries are instructed to consider the circumstances and whether it was a decision a reasonable person would make in light of the perceived danger.

The Supreme Court's decision is scheduled to be posted online Wednesday at 10 a.m.

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