The case hinged on whether the shooting was intentional or the result of a struggle.
WOODBURY, N.J. — Christian Smith was sentenced to 65 years in state prison after a jury convicted him of murdering his stepfather in a 2021 shooting prosecutors said followed offensive comments inside a family home.
The sentence imposed by Gloucester County Superior Court Judge William Ziegler came after jurors rejected Smith’s claim that the gunfire began during a struggle. Smith, 28, was found guilty Jan. 20 of first-degree murder and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose in the death of Dennis McKenzie Jr., 43. Prosecutors said Smith must serve 85% of the sentence before parole eligibility.
The central question at trial was not whether Smith fired the shots that killed McKenzie. The fight was over what those shots meant under the law. Defense attorneys said the shooting followed a struggle over a gun and began accidentally. Prosecutors said Smith had the handgun in his waistband, pulled it out during the argument and fired over his own mother. The jury’s verdict showed it accepted the state’s version of the evidence. That finding turned a family dispute into a first-degree murder conviction and set up the decades-long sentence Smith received May 29.
Prosecutors told jurors the argument began Oct. 9, 2021, in a Woolwich Township home where Smith and McKenzie were present with other family members. The dispute focused on offensive comments Smith made about the sexuality of McKenzie’s daughter and her friend. Smith’s mother and sister tried to calm the situation, and his mother stood between Smith and McKenzie. First Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton said Smith had objected to the friend being in the house, saying he viewed the home as “a house of God.” Prosecutors said the words used during the argument helped explain why McKenzie stepped into the dispute.
The physical evidence described by the state became the backbone of the trial. Prosecutors said McKenzie attempted to hit Smith as the argument escalated. Smith then drew a 9 mm handgun from his waistband, held it over his mother and shot McKenzie once in the face and three times in the back. The state argued those shots were not consistent with a weapon firing by accident during a struggle. Prosecutors also said Smith’s conduct after the shooting undercut his defense. After McKenzie was killed, Smith took the gun apart and recorded himself saying, “That’s what he gets,” according to the prosecutor’s office.
The defense tried to frame the shooting through panic, confusion and a physical fight. Attorneys said several shots went off accidentally before Smith gained control of the firearm and continued firing. They also referred to abuse Smith had experienced in past relationships and argued that the shooting happened in the heat of the moment. Prosecutors countered that the story did not fit the forensic evidence or the sequence described by witnesses. Anton argued before trial that Smith’s explanation could not account for repeated shots. “You can’t accidentally shoot somebody three times,” she said. The jury ultimately found the state had proved murder beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Jan. 20 verdict followed a long gap between the killing and the final judgment. The shooting happened in October 2021. The jury convicted Smith more than four years later. Sentencing took place May 29, 2026. Prosecutors said Smith faced a mandatory minimum prison term of 30 years and up to life. Ziegler chose a 65-year term. The parole rule means Smith will not be eligible for release until he has served most of that sentence. For McKenzie’s family, the sentence marked the first final punishment after years of investigation, court filings, trial preparation and testimony.
The case also showed how narrow factual questions can shape a murder trial. A few seconds inside the home became the focus of weeks of legal argument. Jurors had to weigh where the gun came from, who controlled it, how many shots were fired, where McKenzie was struck and what Smith said afterward. Prosecutors used those facts to argue intent. The defense used the same chaotic setting to argue against purpose and planning. The guilty verdict resolved those disputes in the prosecution’s favor, but it also left a public record of a family confrontation that turned lethal before relatives could stop it.
After the sentence, Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns said Smith was held accountable for violent actions that took a life. Johns said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the case and credited the trial team for presenting the evidence. The prosecutor’s office identified the victim as Dennis McKenzie Jr. and said the shooting death resulted from the gunfire inside the Woolwich Township home. No additional defendants were identified in the case. Smith’s convictions remain for murder and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.
The case now stands as a completed trial-court prosecution, with Smith ordered to serve a 65-year state prison sentence. His parole eligibility is controlled by the 85% service requirement.
Author note: Last updated June 29, 2026.