The trial for a shocking double homicide at a Fort Erie Airbnb rental is nearing its conclusion, with the defence pointing the finger at a friend of the accused as the true perpetrator. The case involves the deaths of two young women, including a 20-year-old from Windsor.
Defence Presents Alternate Theory in Closing Arguments
Christopher "El Plaga" Lucas, a 27-year-old Toronto rapper, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. The charges stem from the January 2021 shootings that claimed the lives of Juliana Pannunzio, 20, of Windsor, and Christine Crooks, 18, of Toronto.
In his closing arguments at the Welland courthouse, defence lawyer John Fitzmaurice asserted his client's innocence. He told the jury that the real killer is Trevor Barnett, who hosted the birthday party at the Airbnb where the tragedy unfolded.
"Trevor Barnett and Chris Lucas do not live even remotely in the civilized moral world," Fitzmaurice stated, characterizing the party's attendees as a "pretty rough crowd." He described Pannunzio as "just a very unfortunate victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
A Fatal Party and a Disputed Trigger
The defence outlined a sequence of events that began with Lucas inviting Crooks to Barnett's birthday celebration. Crooks then invited her friend, Pannunzio. According to Fitzmaurice, the party spiraled out of control in the early morning hours due to a "drunken argument" over champagne, which he called "foolish."
The lawyer claimed it was Barnett who shot Christine Crooks inside the Airbnb's bathroom. He cited witness accounts of hearing a "cork popping" and glass breaking, followed by Crooks saying, "he shot my finger." Fitzmaurice said Crooks was subsequently shot twice more, in the back and neck.
Pannunzio was shot four times while seated in a living room chair, with a total of seven shots fired in her direction, the defence told the court.
Evidence and a Pointed Question
Fitzmaurice presented several pieces of evidence to support his theory. He noted that a droplet of Crooks's blood was found on Barnett's running shoes, and the tread pattern from those same shoes matched a bloody mark discovered in the Airbnb's kitchen.
He also highlighted that Barnett, who was initially charged with first-degree murder before the charges were dropped, discarded the clothes he wore and the car he drove that night. Fitzmaurice emphasized that Crooks did not know Barnett, only Lucas and Pannunzio.
Posing a critical question to the jury, the defence lawyer asked: "Who is the 'he' that is being referenced?" when Crooks allegedly identified her shooter. He urged jurors not to convict Lucas based on assumptions about Barnett's actions, despite condemning the group's "disgraceful and despicable" conduct for fleeing the scene without calling for help.
The trial continues as the jury deliberates the fate of Christopher Lucas, while the families of Juliana Pannunzio and Christine Crooks await a verdict in the painful case.
