DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Theodore “Ted” Wafer has been resentenced in the 2013 shooting death of Renisha McBride.

Wafer appeared in the Wayne County Third Circuit Court on June 22 before Judge Dana Hathaway, who resentenced him to 15 to 30 years in prison with credit for time served. 

The conviction comes with 15 to 30 years for second degree murder, seven to 15 years for statutory manslaughter and two years consecutively for felony firearm. Wafer has served nearly eight years of a minimum 17-year sentence.

Renisha McBride

The ruling comes just months after the Michigan Supreme Court said his rights were violated when he was originally convicted of both second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for the same shooting.

“We are pleased with the Court’s resentencing of Mr. Wafer today,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. “There were very sound reasons for the original sentence and it was the wisest course to give the same sentence today.”

Wafer, now 63, had opened the front door of his home in Dearborn Heights on Nov. 2, 2013 and shot McBride, 19, through the screen door shortly before 5 a.m. He said he had been awakened by pounding on the door and feared for his life, though he did not call 911 first.

Evidence showed that McBride was not armed with any weapons and did not have any tools for breaking into a home.

A jury rejected his self-defense claim and prosecutors had speculated that McBride, who had crashed her car hours earlier, may have been confused when she arrived on Wafer’s porch.

“I took one of God’s children,” Wafer said. “That’s a cross I’m going to carry with me.”