Opening statements to begin for Michigan man accused in teen's death

[July 23, 2014]  (Reuters) - Opening statements are set to begin on Wednesday in the trial of a white suburban Detroit homeowner charged with killing a black teenager with a shotgun blast to the face after she knocked on his door seeking help early one November morning.

Theodore Wafer, 55, faces a second-degree murder charge and up to life in prison for the killing of Renisha McBride, 19, on his front porch.

The racially charged case has sparked protests in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and comparisons to the 2012 shooting death of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.

Wafer, an airport maintenance worker who cares for his elderly mother, told police after the shooting in November that he believed McBride was breaking into his home and that his shotgun went off accidentally, blasting through a closed screen door. [ID:nL2N0J00Z4]

McBride had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit for driving in Michigan when she died and had crashed a car hours before, according to witnesses who testified for prosecutors at the preliminary examination.

A woman who reported the crash testified, however, that McBride appeared confused and injured, not combative.

Wafer called 911 after the shooting and police have said he admitted firing the fatal shot but said it was an accident.

Jury selection concluded on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski)

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.