Inset: Christian Smith (Salem County Correctional Facility). Background: The house where Smith shot and killed his stepfather in Woolwich Township, N.J. (Google Maps).
A Pennsylvania man will spend several decades behind bars for killing his stepfather amid an argument about his sister's houseguest while he was himself visiting relatives in New Jersey.
In January, Christian Smith, 28, was found guilty by a jury of his peers on one count of murder in the first degree over the fatal October 2021 shooting of 43-year-old Dennis McKenzie, Jr.
This week, the defendant was sentenced by Gloucester County Superior Court Judge William Ziegler to 65 years in prison. Smith will be eligible for parole after serving at least 85% of his sentence.
The incident took place on Oct. 9, 2021, at the family's home in Woolwich – a small township located in the Philadelphia metro area.
On the day in question, the defendant and his stepfather were arguing "over offensive comments Smith made about the sexuality of McKenzie's daughter and her friend," prosecutors said.
At the time, Smith was temporarily staying with his mother and stepfather and got upset about his sister's LGBTQ houseguest.
During trial, First Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton said that Smith "made it known to his stepfather that he did not approve of that person coming into their house" because, as Smith saw it, "their house was a house of God," according to a courtroom report by NJ.com.
"Smith's mother and sister attempted to diffuse the situation, with his mother putting herself between the two men," prosecutors said in the press release – an intervention to no avail.
Eventually, Smith used an anti-LGBTQ slur. After that, the stepfather had had enough and he threw a punch at Smith.
Smith then pulled a Glock 19 9 mm handgun from his waistband, "held it over his mother and shot McKenzie" repeatedly, prosecutors said. The victim was shot once in the face and three times in the back.
The defendant then took the gun apart and recorded himself saying: "That's what he gets."
During the trial, the defense claimed the shooting occurred during a struggle over a gun – arguing several shots were fired accidentally before Smith gained control of the weapon and continued firing.
Prosecutors repeatedly dismissed this narrative – saying the defendant's account was inconsistent with the evidence.
"He took the gun out from behind him, reached over her, and fired three times," Anton argued during a pretrial hearing. "You can't accidentally shoot somebody three times."
In the end, jurors agreed with the state.
"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.