In the winter of 2018, a long-simmering family animosity culminated in the tragic death of 47-year-old Kurt Schmeck, a male resident of Saint Paul, Minnesota. On the afternoon of January 31st, inside the home he shared with his mother and half-brother, a dispute escalated to a fatal confrontation. The mundane act of his mother baking cookies seemingly triggered Schmeck's frustration, leading to a heated argument.
The discord between Kurt Schmeck and his 32-year-old half-brother, Justin
M. Girling, was no secret to their family, with their mother acknowledging a deep-seated animosity between them. On that fateful day, the verbal sparring between the two brothers intensified. Girling, who was reportedly awakened by the commotion, confronted Schmeck. As Schmeck walked toward him, Girling, who was in possession of a handgun and had a permit to carry it, fired at him from approximately six feet away.
After being struck by the initial gunshot, Schmeck fell to the ground. As he attempted to rise, Girling fired two more shots, inflicting fatal wounds to his chest, neck, and lower back. Following the shooting, Girling himself contacted emergency services, claiming he had acted in self-defense. When law enforcement arrived at the East Third Street residence, they found no evidence of a physical struggle to support the self-defense claim, and the home was otherwise orderly. Schmeck was pronounced dead at the scene.
Justin M. Girling was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree intentional murder. In June of 2018, Girling pleaded guilty to the charge. During the sentencing, his mother testified about the history of verbal abuse from Schmeck but noted he had not been physically violent. Despite her pleas for leniency, the court sentenced Girling to 15 years in prison for the death of his half-brother.
