Theodore Wafer was arraigned on Wednesday at the Wayne County Circuit Courthouse and pled not-guilty to the charges of second-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Wafer stood silent during the five-minute hearing while Judge Qiana Denise Lillard announced the trial will begin on June 2 and will last two weeks, according to the Free Press. Lillard also said a final conference will take place on April 4.
"This is a case that has had national media attention," Wafer's attorney Cheryl Carpenter said, according to the Free Press. "There is a lot of investigation and discovery and work the defense needs to do."
Wafer, 54, shot McBride through his screen door on the night of Nov. 2 after she appeared on his doorstep in Dearborn Heights shortly before dawn, according to the Free Press.
Carpenter stated Wafer became extremely alarmed in hearing the bangs on his door so late in the night, adding that Michigan's self-defense act applies in this case, according to the Free Press.
The reason for McBride's appearance on Wafer's porch was due to an accident where McBride crashed into a parked car almost half a mile away in Detroit, the Free Press reported.
Witnesses said she appeared injured and dazed but got out of the car and began walking, the Free Press reported. McBride's autopsy showed very high blood-alcohol level.
Reports say Wafer called 911 after shooting McBride and told the operator he "shot someone who had been banging on his door," but prosecutors on the case argue Wafer had numerous other options in regards to dealing with McBride, like calling 911 before shooting, or not opening his door at all, the Free Press reported.
During a preliminary examination of the case last month, Judge David Turfe said Wafer made "bad choice" and the McBride's family attorney called the teens death "a senseless killing," according to the Free Press.
Wafer's attorneys stated during the hearing that they will be calling about 10 witnesses to testify in the trial and up to three may be expert witnesses, the Free Press reported. Prosecutors announced they plan to call about 15 witnesses.
