WOODBURY — A jury found Christian Smith, 27, of Woolwich Township, guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose following a two-week trial before the Honorable William Ziegler, J.S.C.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial: on Oct. 9, 2021, Smith and his stepfather, Dennis McKenzie, Jr., were arguing in their home over offensive comments Smith made about the sexuality of McKenzie’s daughter and her friend. Smith’s mother and sister attempted to diffuse the situation, with his mother putting herself between the two men.
As the argument escalated, McKenzie attempted to hit Smith, who then pulled a 9mm handgun from his waistband, held it over his mother and shot McKenzie once in the face and three times in the back. Smith then disassembled the gun and recorded himself saying “that’s what he gets.”…