Homeowner is sentenced to at least 17 years in prison for fatal porch shooting
A Detroit-area homeowner has been sentenced to at least 17 years in prison for fatally shooting a 19-year-old intoxicated woman who banged on his door in the early morning hours after crashing her car.
Theodore Wafer, 55, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was sentenced on Wednesday for the Nov. 2 death of Renisha McBride, report the Associated Press, the New York Times, the Detroit Free Press and MLive.com. He was convicted last month of second-degree murder, manslaughter and a felony firearm charge despite a claim of self-defense. His sentence is from 17 to 32 years in prison, MLive.com says.
Wafer apologized in court, saying he will “carry guilt and sorrow forever.” His lawyer, Cheryl Carpenter, wept as she asked the judge for leniency, the Times says. The MLive.com account, however, says Carpenter “became emotional” for a few minutes of her argument.
Judge Dana Hathaway said the case is one of the saddest she has ever had. “A young woman’s life is gone and an otherwise law-abiding citizen’s life is ruined,” she said.
