Almost exactly five years after two young women were shot and killed at a house party in Fort Erie, their killer has been put behind bars.

Twenty-seven-year-old Christopher Lucas was found guilty in a Welland courtroom earlier this month, bringing an intense 12-week double murder trial to an end. The mother of one of the victims calls the moment “bittersweet,” but says her fight to bring justice for her daughter is not over.

Lisa Mulcaster says that for the first time in five years, she was able to sleep through the night on January 18. It was in the early morning hours of January 19, 2021, when her daughter, Juliana Pannunzio, and her friend, Christine Crooks, were shot and killed at a house party in Fort Erie. Juliana was 20 years old, and Christine was just 18.

Just one day before the fifth anniversary of their deaths, Christopher Lucas was found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury in a Welland courtroom. The trial spanned 12 weeks and relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including Lucas’s conduct after the crime, as no one at the party could identify who pulled the trigger.

During the trial, the Crown alleged—and the jury ultimately agreed—that Juliana was shot seven times while trying to leave the gathering and call 9-1-1 after her friend had been attacked.

Lisa and her family attended court every single day, even through the most graphic testimony. She describes her daughter as a fiercely loyal friend, a champion for underdogs, and a silly, funny person. She also says she is grateful to the police officers and Crown attorneys who worked on the case, describing them as becoming like family. But she adds that the justice system must do more to support victims and their families.

Lisa says she is now working toward what she hopes will one day be known as “Juliana’s Law.” She wants to see changes to the Criminal Code that would restore consecutive sentencing, so people convicted of multiple offences would serve sentences back-to-back, rather than concurrently. Beyond sentencing, she says broader changes are needed in the courtroom to better support victims and their families. Five years after her daughter’s death, Lisa says she finally has the time and fortitude to push for change.