Guilty verdict in Markham double murder

NEWMARKET, Ont. – Chris Little, the Markham, Ont., man charged with murdering 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 his wife, Julie Crocker, and physiotherapist Paula Menendez on Feb. 12, 2007.

The families of victims Crocker and Menendez broke into tears as the verdict was read. The accused sat down and placed his head in his hands.

Little, a 38-year-old fibreglass salesman, has been accused of staging a murder-suicide scene at his home in the deaths.

The Crown has alleged Little 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, broadcaster Rick Ralph.

At the time of the crime, Menendez had recently separated from Ralph, who became involved in an affair with Crocker.

Crocker, an ad executive, was found in the master bedroom with her throat slit, while Menendez was found in the garage, where Little testified he found her hanging in a bizarre fashion, with rope tied around her neck and her feet.

During the trial, the jury heard that Little had installed a GPS unit in Crocker’s car to track her whereabouts and had equipment to detect semen on her clothing in an effort to prove that she was cheating on him.

In court, he said he had nothing to do with the murders. The defence’s theory was that Menendez had killed Crocker and then hanged herself.

Little will return to court for sentencing on Friday morning, when five victim impact statements will be read. Markham is north of Toronto.

With files from Global News