Police officer testifies about video evidence in Fort Erie double homicide trial

A Welland courtroom heard from several officers Thursday, who were part of piecing together police evidence in the killing of two young women at a house party in Fort Erie.

It’s the first week of the trial, and the crown is laying out its case against 27-year-old Christopher Lucas, a rapper from Toronto.

Lucas has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, in the shooting deaths of 18-year-old Christina Crooks from Toronto, and 20-year-old Juliana Pannunzio from Essex.

The young women were killed at a house party in Fort Erie on Jan. 19th, 2021.

Pannunzio’s family sat in court Thursday, and said watching the trial is like, “reliving that day, Jan. 19th, 2021, all over again.”

They plan to attend court every single day, and say they hope going through the legal process will allow them to start grieving Pannunzio’s death.

Her family says she was a young woman they describe as, “a ray of sunshine and a champion for underdogs.”

Among other witnesses, the court heard from a Niagara police officer, who helped piece together security footage from a nearby house, showing the driveway and roads next to the scene on the Niagara parkway.

The videos show several vehicles coming and going, before police cruisers show up just after 4:30 a.m.

The trial is expected to last up to nine weeks, with around 35 witnesses.

WATCH MORE: Trial underway for Toronto rapper accused in fatal Fort Erie shooting