Christian Smith was convicted of murder after a family argument in Woolwich Township turned deadly.

WOODBURY, N.J. — A Gloucester County judge sentenced Christian Smith to 65 years in state prison Friday for fatally shooting his stepfather during a 2021 argument inside a Woolwich Township family home.

The sentence closes a case that centered on a sudden burst of violence inside a house where relatives had tried to stop an argument from growing worse. Smith, 28, was convicted Jan. 20 of first-degree murder and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose in the killing of Dennis McKenzie Jr., 43. Prosecutors said the prison term requires Smith to serve 85% before he can become eligible for parole.

Prosecutors said the confrontation began Oct. 9, 2021, when Smith and McKenzie argued over offensive comments Smith made about the sexuality of McKenzie’s daughter and her friend. The dispute unfolded in the family’s Woolwich Township home, where Smith was staying at the time. First Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton said at trial that Smith had made clear he did not approve of the guest being in the home because, in Smith’s view, it was “a house of God.” Smith’s mother and sister stepped in as the dispute grew sharper. His mother placed herself between the two men, but the argument continued until McKenzie tried to strike Smith, prosecutors said.

The state’s case turned on what prosecutors said Smith did next. Authorities said Smith pulled a 9 mm handgun from his waistband, held it over his mother and fired at McKenzie. McKenzie was shot once in the face and three times in the back, causing his death. Prosecutors said Smith then took the firearm apart and recorded himself saying, “That’s what he gets.” That recording became one of the details that shaped the state’s account of Smith’s intent after the gunfire. Officials said the shots and the actions after the shooting did not match an accidental struggle or a confused split-second exchange.

Smith’s defense argued during trial that the shooting followed a fight over the weapon. Defense attorneys said some shots were fired by accident before Smith gained control of the gun and kept firing. They also described the shooting as an act that happened in the heat of the moment and pointed to Smith’s past experiences in abusive relationships. Prosecutors rejected that version and said the physical evidence did not support it. Anton argued that Smith deliberately drew the gun and fired over his mother. “You can’t accidentally shoot somebody three times,” she said during a pretrial hearing, according to courtroom reporting cited in accounts of the case.

Jurors sided with the prosecution after a trial in Gloucester County Superior Court. The guilty verdict came more than four years after the shooting and left Smith facing a long state prison term. Judge William Ziegler imposed the 65-year sentence on May 29. Under New Jersey’s parole rules for certain violent crimes, Smith must serve most of that term before he can ask for release. The 85% requirement means his first parole eligibility would come only after decades in custody. The sentence reflects punishment for the murder count and the weapons conviction tied to the handgun used in the killing.

The case drew attention because the fatal argument mixed family conflict, anti-LGBTQ comments, a firearm inside the home and a recording made after the shooting. Prosecutors said McKenzie’s daughter and her friend were the subject of Smith’s offensive comments before McKenzie intervened. Family members tried to calm the dispute before the shooting, according to the state’s account, but they could not stop the confrontation. The home became both the crime scene and the central setting for the trial, with jurors asked to decide whether Smith acted with purpose or fired during a chaotic fight over the gun.

Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns said the sentence held Smith responsible for taking McKenzie’s life. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s violent actions and ensures he will be held accountable for taking a life,” Johns said after sentencing. He also praised the trial team for presenting the case and securing a verdict. The prosecutor’s office said the evidence presented to jurors included the argument, the position of Smith’s mother, the shots fired and Smith’s conduct after the killing. The defense position did not overcome the state’s account of the shooting or the forensic evidence prosecutors said supported it.

The next stage of the case is Smith’s service of the sentence in state custody, with parole barred until the required portion of the term is served. The court has entered judgment in a case that began with a family argument on Oct. 9, 2021, and ended with a 65-year prison sentence on May 29, 2026.

Author note: Last updated June 29, 2026.