Theodore Wafer Receives 17 Years For Killing Renisha McBride

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Theodore Wafer has been sentenced to at least 17 years in prison for killing an unarmed woman who appeared on his porch before dawn.

The Associated Press Reports:
Theodore Wafer is convicted of second-degree murder in the Nov. 2 death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride.

Before his sentencing, the Dearborn Heights man apologized to McBride’s family, saying he killed a woman who was “too young to leave this world.”

Renisha McBride

Wafer was convicted last month after a nine-day trial that centered on whether the 55-year-old had a reasonable and honest belief that he was in peril. He testified that he was awakened by pounding on his doors and shot McBride because he feared for his life. A jury rejected his claim of self-defense.

Prosecutors recommended at least 17 years in prison for Wafer, the low end of the guidelines, including two years for unlawful use of a gun. Defense attorney Cheryl Carpenter asked for as few as six years in prison.

The jury convicted Wafer of murder, manslaughter and a gun-related charge on Aug. 7. His maximum sentence is 32 years in prison, although he’ll be eligible for parole after serving the minimum of 17.

Theodore Wafer is white and McBride was Black, and some wondered in the aftermath of the shooting whether race was a factor, llinking it to the shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.