Guilty verdict in Little double murder trial

Chris Little, the Markham man charged with killing two women, has been found guilty of first-degree murder in both deaths.

The six-man, six-woman, jury began deliberations on Monday in the deaths of Little’s wife, Julie Crocker, and physiotherapist Paula Menendez on Feb. 12, 2007.

Dressed in a black suit, Little kept his head down as the foreperson read the verdicts after 20 hours of deliberations that ended around noon Wednesday. The family members of his two victims erupted in sobs and tears, hugging each other.

"This senseless tragedy shattered our lives forever," Judy Crocker, Julie’s mother, said after the verdict.

"Two wonderful young women, Julie and Paula, both with successful careers, loving families and incredible potential, had their futures stolen from them on Feb. 12, 2007."

"She was not perfect," she said of her daughter. "But few of us are. And she made wrong decisions in her life, just like the rest of us."

A first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence, with no chance of parole for 25 years.

The Crown alleged Little, a 38-year-old fibreglass salesman, killed Crocker out of jealousy and designed the crime to look like a murder-suicide, slaying Menendez in the process. Crocker was in a relationship with Menendez’s estranged husband, sportscaster Rick Ralph.

Little’s lawyer, John Rosen, had pointed the jury toward Menendez as the killer. He said she had "every bit of motivation" to kill Crocker.

Menendez’s family said the outcome was what they had hoped for and the only result that the jury could have come to given the evidence presented.

"We are obviously relieved and pleased with the verdict and the sentence given to Chris Little. Sadly, the punishment will never be enough for any of us because it will not offset the "sentence" that we all have to serve. That is living our lifetimes without Paula," her sister, Claudia Johnston, said in a victim-impact statement read in court Wednesday.

Monica Menendez, Paula Menendez’s mother, said Wednesday: "It won’t be the same. Never. I feel very happy with the decision of the court, and I hope he stays in there forever. Forever. For me, he’s a monster."

Rosen said they plan to appeal the verdicts.

"They’re very upset. He’s the only son and youngest of three children. I’m very disappointed after a long time of hard work."

Little will return to court on Friday.