`DEVIL' FOUND GUILTY OF KILLING TEENAGER

Gunman Junior Johnson could be out in seven years

A 20-year-old man convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of
teenager Christie Christie is a ``breathing devil,'' her mother says.

``My last words to you are that angels go to heaven and that's where
Christie is. As for you, devils go to hell and I can be grateful knowing
that she will never have to see you again,'' a weeping Tracy Christie said
last evening, looking into the eyes of Junior Johnson.

``You are just a breathing devil taking up someone else's breathing space.''

An Ontario Court, general division jury took from Wednesday morning until
yesterday evening to decide that Johnson had deliberately killed Christie.

``I'm sorry for what happened, even though it was not supposed to happen
that way,'' Johnson said after the verdict was read. ``All I can say is
sorry.''

Johnson received a life term with no eligibility for parole for 10 years.
Because he has already been in jail for three years, he has at least seven
more to serve.

The parole eligibility was reduced from the mandatory 25 years because
Johnson, a young offender when charged, was ordered tried as an adult.

Defence counsel Robert Nuttall said he may appeal the verdict.

The evidence showed that Johnson and a pal, Khalil Francis, went to the
Christie apartment on Glamorgan Ave. to steal drugs, money and jewelry. Both
youths were 17 at the time.

They got a 12-year-old, who knew the family, to act as a decoy and get
someone to open the door on Jan. 29, 1996.

The two youths ran in, Francis hiding a knife and Johnson carrying a loaded
12-gauge shotgun, court was told.

Christie and a girlfriend, both 16, were in the apartment doing homework and
looking after Christie's 8-month-old brother.

While Francis was ransacking the place, Johnson focused the gun on the trio
and once hit Christie in the face with the butt of it, the jury was told.

Francis maintained that, when he fled the apartment he grabbed Johnson's
shoulder and told him to leave and that's when the gun went off
accidentally.

Nuttall said there was a jostling at the door and the gun misfired, hitting
Christie in the abdomen.

However, other evidence showed that, before leaving the apartment, Johnson
levelled the gun at Christie and said: ``Now I'm going to shoot you,'' and
did.

Once outside the building he was overheard by some of the others saying, ``I
blew her away for three dime bags ($10 bags of marijuana) and $10.''

The jurors unanimously agreed it was a premeditated murder as crown counsel
Tony Loparco had painted it.

After the verdict, the dead girl's aunt, Donna Cordick, went to the front of
the court and confronted Johnson.

``I have sat through all of your numerous court appearances, Mr. Johnson,
and at no time have we seen any remorse on your part, no indication that you
are sorry for your part in this tragedy,'' she said.

``This is someone you knew personally, someone you liked enough to ask out.

``Christie told me about a guy named Cat, who hung out with her friend Cal,
who had asked her out more than once the summer before she was killed, but
she said no a few times and he finally left her alone.

``I remember asking her why she didn't go out with this Cat guy and her
words were, `Cause he's too scary. Besides, he's not my type.'

``We still don't understand why you felt it necessary to murder Christie.''

During the trial, it was learned that Johnson was known to his friends as
Cat and Francis was known as Cal.

Francis pleaded guilty last year to manslaughter and received 4 1/2 years on
top of 1 1/2 years pre-trial custody.

The boy who acted as a decoy was 13 when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter
and received the maximum three years for youths. He cannot be identified by
law.

Feldon Bennett, who was 17 at the time and is believed to have supplied the
gun, received six years.

Outside court, Tracy Christie said she is going to do everything she can to
make sure Johnson does not get parole. ``I am going to be his worst
nightmare, just as he has been mine.''

She said Johnson had called her up and threatened to kill her daughter
because she would not go out with him.

She said his apology in court was too little too late.

In court, Loparco read out a victim impact statement written by Christie's
father, Joe Evans.

``Why should he (Johnson) be alive and my daughter is dead? Why didn't this
happen in Texas where they have the death penalty? Or better yet in China.
Why should he be kept in a jail at a cost of $50,000 a year to taxpayers?

``You feel sorry for the police who see this kind of human garbage every
day.

``And you hope that, like the Good Book says, `an eye for an eye' will
happen some time very soon.''

Checked-by: Don Beck