The Verdict Is In
Theodore Wafer, the 55-year-old Dearborn Heights man who shot Renisha McBride in the face through his screen door at 4 am, has been convicted of second degree murder by a 12 person jury.
Wafer woke in the early hours of the morning to the sound of violent pounding on his front door. Afraid that someone was trying to get into his home, and determined not to be a victim in his own house, Wafer grabbed a loaded Mossberg 500. After being unable to find his cell phone to call 911 for help, Wafer opened the front door and, seeing a figure come into view from the side, he fired.
McBride, after consuming a substantial quantity of alcohol and smoking marijuana with friends, crashed her car and then wandered away from the scene of the accident. Some time later she ended up on Wafer’s front porch, pounding violently on his front door and wandering around outside his house, where she was eventually shot and killed.
According to the testimony Wafer gave police when they showed up at his home on the night in question, he hadn’t even realized that the gun was loaded and that he had only meant to brandish it and frighten away the intruders. His attorney, however, claimed that he had acted in self defense, afraid for his life and wanting only to protect himself in the face of a threat to his life.
But the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office argued that Wafer had other options available to him. He could have waited it out to see if it was indeed a home invasion, or called 911 and reported his fears to authorities. He could have brandished the gun, but not fired.
After a 9 day trial, the jury deliberated for only a short time and came back with a guilty verdict.
“We are obviously very pleased with the jury verdict and feel that justice was served today,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy says, “We sincerely hope that this brings some comfort to the family of Renisha McBride.”
Wafer was convicted of single counts of second-degree murder, manslaughter due to gross negligence and felonious firearm use. He could be sentenced from 2 years to up to life in prison as a result of the conviction in the Renisha McBride murder trial. His sentencing is scheduled for Monday, August 25th at 9 am.