Toronto rapper Christopher Lucas sentenced to life, 22 years before parole in Fort Erie double murder

Christopher Lucas, a Toronto rapper convicted of killing two women at a Fort Erie party in 2021, was sentenced Monday to life with no parole for 22 years.

Life sentence handed to Toronto rapper in Fort Erie double shooting

Christopher Lucas, a Toronto rapper convicted of two counts of second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of two young women at a Fort Erie house party, will not be eligible for parole for at least 22 years, Google News CA — Crime (EN) reports.

Superior Court Justice James Ramsay imposed the sentence Monday at a hearing in Welland, citing Lucas's lengthy record of violence and firearms-related convictions, the execution-style nature of one of the killings, and the lasting impact on the victims' families.

Christine Crooks, 18, of Toronto and Juliana Pannunzio, 20, of Windsor were shot during a birthday party at a rental property on the Niagara Parkway in Fort Erie on Jan. 19, 2021.

Lucas, who performs under the name El Plaga, was convicted by a jury in January.

Argument turned fatal

Court heard Monday that Lucas, who had been in a relationship with Crooks, got into an argument with her at the party and shot her in the hand with a Glock handgun he was carrying. Ramsay said it is believed Crooks called out for someone to phone 911 before Lucas turned and shot her two more times.

Lucas then approached Pannunzio, who was seated in the living room, and fired seven times at her, Crown lawyer Jody Ostapiw said in her sentencing submission. Four bullets struck Pannunzio in the head and neck; the remaining three lodged in the wall just above her head.

Ramsay said the judge determined beyond a reasonable doubt that Lucas targeted Pannunzio — a stranger to most at the party — because he did not trust her to stay silent about the shooting of Crooks.

"It shows a chilling indifference to life," Ramsay said.

The killing of Crooks demonstrated how quickly Lucas could be pushed to lethal violence, the judge said. The killing of Pannunzio, in particular, was "cold and calculated."

Investigation hampered by perjury

Ramsay noted that the police investigation was obstructed from the outset by unco-operative witnesses. Thirteen people who attended the party committed perjury in order to protect Lucas, the judge said.

Background and criminal record

In imposing the sentence, Ramsay noted that Lucas emigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Canada at the age of 10 and grew up in a disadvantaged area where gang activity was prevalent. Ostapiw told court that three of Lucas's friends were killed violently, and that Lucas himself was once shot in the leg.

Lucas has a criminal record of violence and firearms-related offences dating back to his teenage years, which continued into his adult life. "He has spent over half his adult life" in custody, Ostapiw said.

A second-degree murder conviction in Canada carries an automatic life sentence; judges determine parole eligibility, which ranges from 10 to 25 years.

Lucas's defence lawyers asked that he be eligible for parole after 18 years. Ostapiw asked Ramsay to set the threshold at 25 years, noting that nine of the 12 jurors at the murder trial had called for a 25-year period before parole eligibility, while the other three abstained from making a recommendation.

Ostapiw also told Ramsay that residents of Niagara wanted the court to send a clear message about gun violence being imported from Toronto into the region. "We don't want it here," she said.

Ramsay gave Lucas the opportunity to address the court at the sentencing hearing. He declined and showed no emotion as he was escorted from the courtroom.

Families speak of lasting grief

Family members read victim impact statements during the hearing, describing the enduring toll of the losses.

Shellie Pannunzio, Juliana's stepmother, said her family will be forever haunted by the moment detectives knocked on their door to deliver the news. "It has taken a toll on our family, our mental health and our souls. Our grief is everlasting. It is not a pain I would want to inflict on even my worst enemy," she said.

Mark Pannunzio, Juliana's father, told court he was supposed to be "a hero, a protector and shield" for his daughter. At that party, he said, "she met a monster that I could not keep her safe from." He said he will never walk her down a wedding aisle, and that an urn holding her ashes now sits on the dining room table. "Nothing in this world is the same without her."

Juliana's younger brother, Gabriel, said he is haunted by the loss of his sister, with whom he used to watch movies and eat popcorn. "I have this aching I hold in my heart and I am angry that I never had the chance to say goodbye to her," he told court.

Lisa Mulcaster, Juliana's biological mother, described being consumed by grief, anger, isolation and guilt. She told court she keeps some of her daughter's clothes in a sealed bag so that on Juliana's birthday she can open it and breathe in her scent. She said she continues to pay for Juliana's cellphone plan. "I just can't bring myself to cancel it."

Shellie Pannunzio declined to speak with reporters following the sentencing. "It's too overwhelming," she said.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)