Theodore Wafer will do at least 17 years.

[emu steve]

Yes. Complete over-reaction. But on your own property, inside your own home, I'm quite all right with the over-reaction. I believe inside your home, you are to be granted extreme discretion to be left alone to peaceably enjoy life.

But she was on the outside. And he could have sat in a chair with his rifle. And when she crossed into the house --- there would have been much less doubt about whether he acted reasonably.

Don't they always say if you have to shoot someone as they crawl in your window, make sure the body falls inward?

Yes, taking your comments a step forward, if Wafer would have handled things better he could have been charged with a lesser crime and let the jury decide it.

The way I understand things, 2nd degree murder was an easy charge to bring.

If there was evidence the victim was entering the house, for whatever reason, he might have been able to defend himself against say a lesser charge and even if convicted might have gotten a light [[?) sentence.

BTW, here is Wikipedia on the Castle doctrine [[no discussion of MI)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine