aGameOfThrones
09-03-2014, 09:40 AM
remember that kid who was in an accident and was shot by cops? this is kinda the same.
Suburban Detroit man to be sentenced for fatal porch shooting
By Aaron Foley
DETROIT (Reuters) - A white suburban Detroit homeowner could face at least 17 years in prison when he is sentenced on Wednesday for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager on his front porch.
Theodore Wafer, 55, an airport maintenance worker from Dearborn Heights, was convicted last month of second-degree murder, felony firearm usage and manslaughter in the death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride. Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Dana Hathaway will sentence Wafer at a hearing in Detroit.
Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 15 years to 25 years for Wafer's conviction on second-degree murder in addition to a mandatory two-year sentence on his felony firearms conviction, a person familiar with the case told Reuters in August, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
Prosecutors have not disclosed what penalty they would seek on Wafer's manslaughter conviction.
The shooting and subsequent trial drew comparisons with the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, another unarmed black teen who was shot to death in 2012 by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida. The McBride shooting sparked protests in the Detroit area, which has a history of racial tensions.
Prosecutors said McBride was intoxicated and had been involved in a car crash when she banged on Wafer's front door early on a rainy morning last November, apparently seeking help.
Wafer, who testified in court that he was in fear of his life, opened his front door and shot McBride in the face with a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun, telling police he believed someone was trying to break into his house.
Wafer told police his weapon went off by accident, but prosecutors convinced a jury that not only did Wafer intend to kill, he had previous experience with firearms and had other options to resolve the situation.
http://news.yahoo.com/suburban-detroit-man-sentenced-fatal-porch-shooting-110641230.html
Detroit-Area Man Gets 17 Years in Porch Shooting
DETROIT —
Sep 3, 2014, 1:48 AM
A suburban Detroit man was sentenced Wednesday to at least 17 years in prison for killing an unarmed woman who appeared on his porch before dawn.
Theodore Wafer was convicted of second-degree murder in the Nov. 2 death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride. Before he was sentenced, the Dearborn Heights man apologized to McBride's family, saying he killed a woman who was "too young to leave this world."
"I will carry that guilt and sorrow forever," said Wafer, often pausing to control his emotions.
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.
Noting Wafer's age, Carpenter told Judge Dana Hathaway that anything more than 10 years in prison would be a "life sentence." The judge declined to go below the guidelines.
No one knows why McBride ended up at Wafer's home about 4:30 a.m., though prosecutors speculated she may have been seeking help. She had crashed her car into a parked car about a half-mile away in Detroit around 1 a.m. An autopsy found she was extremely drunk.
Wafer opened the front door and shot McBride in the face, firing through a screen door. He first suggested to police that it was an accident but later admitted to intentionally pulling the trigger.
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.
Wafer is white and McBride was black, and some wondered in the aftermath of the shooting whether race was a factor, likening it to the shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. But race was hardly mentioned at trial.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/detroit-area-man-faces-prison-death-porch-25224988
Suburban Detroit man to be sentenced for fatal porch shooting
By Aaron Foley
DETROIT (Reuters) - A white suburban Detroit homeowner could face at least 17 years in prison when he is sentenced on Wednesday for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager on his front porch.
Theodore Wafer, 55, an airport maintenance worker from Dearborn Heights, was convicted last month of second-degree murder, felony firearm usage and manslaughter in the death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride. Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Dana Hathaway will sentence Wafer at a hearing in Detroit.
Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 15 years to 25 years for Wafer's conviction on second-degree murder in addition to a mandatory two-year sentence on his felony firearms conviction, a person familiar with the case told Reuters in August, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
Prosecutors have not disclosed what penalty they would seek on Wafer's manslaughter conviction.
The shooting and subsequent trial drew comparisons with the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, another unarmed black teen who was shot to death in 2012 by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida. The McBride shooting sparked protests in the Detroit area, which has a history of racial tensions.
Prosecutors said McBride was intoxicated and had been involved in a car crash when she banged on Wafer's front door early on a rainy morning last November, apparently seeking help.
Wafer, who testified in court that he was in fear of his life, opened his front door and shot McBride in the face with a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun, telling police he believed someone was trying to break into his house.
Wafer told police his weapon went off by accident, but prosecutors convinced a jury that not only did Wafer intend to kill, he had previous experience with firearms and had other options to resolve the situation.
http://news.yahoo.com/suburban-detroit-man-sentenced-fatal-porch-shooting-110641230.html
Detroit-Area Man Gets 17 Years in Porch Shooting
DETROIT —
Sep 3, 2014, 1:48 AM
A suburban Detroit man was sentenced Wednesday to at least 17 years in prison for killing an unarmed woman who appeared on his porch before dawn.
Theodore Wafer was convicted of second-degree murder in the Nov. 2 death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride. Before he was sentenced, the Dearborn Heights man apologized to McBride's family, saying he killed a woman who was "too young to leave this world."
"I will carry that guilt and sorrow forever," said Wafer, often pausing to control his emotions.
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.
Noting Wafer's age, Carpenter told Judge Dana Hathaway that anything more than 10 years in prison would be a "life sentence." The judge declined to go below the guidelines.
No one knows why McBride ended up at Wafer's home about 4:30 a.m., though prosecutors speculated she may have been seeking help. She had crashed her car into a parked car about a half-mile away in Detroit around 1 a.m. An autopsy found she was extremely drunk.
Wafer opened the front door and shot McBride in the face, firing through a screen door. He first suggested to police that it was an accident but later admitted to intentionally pulling the trigger.
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.
Wafer is white and McBride was black, and some wondered in the aftermath of the shooting whether race was a factor, likening it to the shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. But race was hardly mentioned at trial.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/detroit-area-man-faces-prison-death-porch-25224988