The 2021 Ontario Homicide Victim List is available here.
Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) received a 911 call regarding a disturbance possibly involving a firearm at a residence in Fort Erie on January 19th at approximately 4:17am.
Fort Erie police attended a residence on the Niagara Parkway and located the bodies of two females. According to CHCH.com, the residence where the bodies were found was an Airbnb. Niagara police said evidence at the scene suggests that there were multiple people at the house, and detectives are attempting to determine the identity of everyone who was present or in the house before and when the incident occurred.
Niagara police have identified the victims as 20-year-old Juliana Pannunzio of Windsor and 18-year-old Christina Crooks of Toronto.
Detectives from the Homicide Unit and the Forensic Services Unit have been called in to investigate. The investigation continues with a dive recovery team in the Niagara River in search of evidence. Information will be added as it becomes available.
Police are attempting to identify the origin of a take-out food order in relation to this investigation. The food was contained in a non-descript grey plastic bag with the number “923” written on the outside. The order included a cheeseburger, French fries, chicken wings, celery and carrots with blue cheese, in four separate white styrofoam containers. The bag also contained five disposable plastic “SUNSPUN” ketchup containers.
Niagara police, with the assistance of the Toronto Police Service, arrested 22-year-old Christopher Lucas, also known as “El Plaga”, of Scarborough on August 26th 2021. Lucas has been charged with 2 counts of First-Degree Murder contrary to section 235(1) of the Criminal Code in relation to the homicides of Juliana Pannunzio and Christina Crooks.
On August 30th 2021, Heidi Bahler, 29, of Scarborough, was arrested on Monday morning by the Niagara Regional Police in connection with the shooting at a birthday party in Fort Erie in January 2021.
On September 2nd 2021, Trevor Barnett was arrested and has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder.
Naigara Regional Police announced on February 18th 2022, that as a result, detectives upgraded the charges against 30-year-old Trevor Barnett of Scarborough to two counts of First-degree murder.
Update: After a 34-day trial and two full days of deliberations, a jury of six women and six men found Christopher Lucas guilty of two counts of second-degree murder on January 17, 2026. Although no witness ever identified the shooter, the Crown argued the totality of the evidence showed Lucas behaved in a way consistent with guilt a conclusion the jury ultimately accepted.
Update August 24th 2026: Christopher Lucas, also known by his rapper name El Plaga, has been sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole for 22 years, according to CBC News.
Justice James Ramsay described Pannunzio’s killing as “cold and calculated” and pointed to Lucas’s history of violent and firearms-related offences as factors in determining the parole eligibility period.
The judge also noted that the investigation was complicated by witnesses who were unwilling to co-operate. According to the court, 13 people who attended the party committed perjury in an effort to protect Lucas.
During the sentencing hearing, the victims’ families spoke about the lasting impact of their deaths. Juliana’s family described profound grief and the enduring pain of losing a daughter and sister.
Lucas declined an opportunity to address the court and showed no emotion as he was escorted from the courtroom.