4.5 years later, Essex family prepares for murder trial in Welland

A family is preparing for a trial after an Essex woman was killed at a party in 2021. CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske reports.

An Essex family is prepared for a murder trial in Welland after 4.5 years.

Christopher Lucas, 27, of Toronto, pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the death of two people on Jan. 19, 2021.

Juliana Pannunzio of Essex was just 20 years old when she was shot to death at a house party in Fort Erie.

Her friend, Christina Crooks, 18, of Toronto was also killed.

The trial

Jury selection started Monday at the Welland Superior Courthouse, more than three hours from Essex County.

“Anxious. Apprehensive. Worried,” is how Pannunzio’s mom Lisa Brazeau describes her emotions going into the start of the trial.

“(We’re) very concerned about what we’re going to see, what we’re going to hear, how things are going to play out,” ‘bonus’ mom Shellie Pannunzio told CTV News.

The women have sat through every court appearance since charges were first laid by Niagara Regional Police back in late August 2021.

“We weren’t there for her final moments. We want to know every everything that she did that night. We want to understand what her mindset was,” Pannunzio said.

Both are aware of how difficult some of the evidence might be.

“We’re going to sit side by side,” Brazeau said.

“Sometimes she’s the strong person. Sometimes I’m the strong person. So, I think between the two of us, we’re going to make one person.”

The grief journey

Although interviewed separately and at different times, both mothers said whatever the outcome, they need the court process to end so they can really begin to grieve the loss of the girl they both describe as “spunky”.

“We need some type of closure; we need to at least put this chapter behind us. So that we can properly start to heal it in a positive manner, because we haven’t been able to do that as of yet,” Pannunzio said.

“We’re still stuck back at devastation and anger,” Brazeau said.

“We have to process that (the verdict) and then incorporate that into our new days and weeks and months.”

For them both, any court outcome doesn’t change the one thing they want most in the world: For Juliana to still be alive.