Guilty: Welland jury takes two full days to decide fate of Toronto man charged with killing an Essex woman

Juliana Pannunzio, 20, was killed in a shooting on Jan. 19, 2021 in Fort Erie. (Courtesy: Shellie Pannunzio)

The verdict is in. A Welland, Ont. jury took two full days to deliberate the fate of a Toronto man, charged with killing an Essex woman and her friend.

Juliana Pannunzio, 20, and Christine Crooks, 18, of Toronto were both shot to death on Jan. 19, 2021, at a party in Fort Erie.

A jury of six women and six men found 27-year-old Christopher Lucas guilty of two counts of second-degree murder on Saturday.

Justice Ramsey allowed the media to access a zoom link for the verdict, although he denied the access during the trial.

CTV News can see on the zoom the crown attorneys and Niagara Police officers hugging each other before going to the Pannunzio family in the gallery to celebrate the verdict.

The jury started their deliberations early Thursday afternoon, and they have been sequestered ever since.

During the 34-day trial, nearly a dozen party goers testified and not one could or would identify the shooter.

The Crown presented a circumstantial case based on how Lucas reacted after the killings.

The defence maintained the shooter is a former co-accused, Trevor Barnett, who has already pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. He’s currently on two years’ probation.