Pennsylvania man gets 65 years for shooting stepfather over LGBTQ dispute

Christian Smith, 28, was sentenced to 65 years for the 2021 murder of his stepfather in New Jersey. He filmed himself saying 'that's what he gets' while dismantling the gun.

65-year sentence for man who filmed himself after shooting stepfather

A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for the first-degree murder of his stepfather, following a dispute over an LGBTQ houseguest at a New Jersey family home. Law & Crime reports that Christian Smith, 28, will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 85% of his sentence.

Gloucester County Superior Court Judge William Ziegler handed down the sentence this week, months after a jury convicted Smith in January on one count of first-degree murder.

The shooting took place on Oct. 9, 2021, at a family residence in Woolwich Township — a small community in the Philadelphia metro area. Smith was temporarily staying with his mother and stepfather, Dennis McKenzie, Jr., 43, when a confrontation broke out over an LGBTQ friend of his sister who was visiting the house.

According to prosecutors, Smith made clear he disapproved of the guest's presence, telling his stepfather the home was "a house of God." First Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton described at trial how Smith's mother and sister tried to intervene, with his mother physically placing herself between the two men — an effort that did not stop the escalation.

After Smith directed an anti-LGBTQ slur at his stepfather, McKenzie threw a punch. Smith then drew a Glock 19 9 mm handgun from his waistband, reached over his mother, and fired. McKenzie was struck once in the face and three times in the back.

After the shooting, Smith disassembled the firearm and recorded himself on video. "That's what he gets," he said on the recording.

The defense argued at trial that the shooting was accidental — that a struggle over the gun caused the first shots to discharge before Smith took control of the weapon. Prosecutors rejected that account as inconsistent with the physical evidence.

"He took the gun out from behind him, reached over her, and fired three times," Anton said during a pretrial hearing. "You can't accidentally shoot somebody three times."

The jury sided with the prosecution.

"This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant's violent actions and ensures he will be held accountable for taking a life," Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns said in a press release following sentencing.

Source: Law & Crime