Renisha McBride Trial, Verdict, Shooting: Detroit Man Found Guilty of Murder
A Wayne County jury has found Theodore Wafer guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Renisha McBride. He could face up to life in prison.
In Nov. 2, 2013, McBride, 19, crashed her car some half a mile away from Wafer's home, according to The Wire. She pounded on his front door, and Wafer shot her in the face with a shotgun before calling the police.
The trial began in July, and on Thursday a jury handed down its verdict, according to the Detroit Free Press. Composed of seven men and five women, the jury found Wafer guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter and felony firearm.
"We are obviously very pleased with the jury verdict and feel that justice was served today. We sincerely hope that this brings some comfort to the family of Renisha McBride," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement, reports the Detroit newspaper.
Wafer, 55, will be sentenced on Aug. 5 and could face up to life in prison. The defense argued that Wafer feared for his safety, believing McBride to be a robber, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Evidence provided during the trail said that McBride was intoxicated at the time of the incident with a .22 blood alcohol level at the time of her death, according to ClickOnDetroit.com. The defense argued that the police did not handle the investigation properly and had already made up their minds.
"It wasn't a 'who done it.' We had Mr. Wafer admitting, or saying it was an accident," said Det. Sgt. Stephen Gurka, lead investigator, according to the news site.
According to the Wall Street Journal, however, the prosecutor did not use racial motivation as part of their argument, despite some comparing the incident with previous racially motivated shootings.
After the verdict was announced, McBride's parents thanked the district attorneys, hugging them and blowing them kisses, reports the Journal.
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