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Michigan's top court looking at porch shooting trial

Posted at 8:49 AM, Oct 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-13 08:02:05-04

The Michigan Supreme Court has heard arguments over critical jury instructions in the second-degree murder conviction of a man who fatally shot a young woman on his porch.

Ted Wafer was convicted in the death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride in Dearborn Heights in 2013.

Jury instructions were the issue Thursday for the Supreme Court. The trial judge explained self-defense to jurors, but Wafer wanted her to tell jurors he shot McBride because he believed she was breaking into his house — a key distinction.

McBride was drunk and had crashed her car hours earlier. Wafer says he was awakened by pounding.

Prosecutors say there was no evidence that McBride was in the process of breaking into the home. Wafer is serving a minimum prison sentence of 17 years.