Don't F*ck with Cats ~ The Luka Magnotta Crimes Conclusion

 

Now that Luka Rocco Magnotta was in custody, the hardest part of this case was proving how heinous he truly was and if prosecutors could convict him on all charges. This definitely didn't come with no challenges!!!

Jun Lin (aka Justin Lin) was an international student who came from Wuhan in 2010, in hopes of finding a better life for himself in Canada. 

He was married to a woman at some point, but they had divorced... never revealing that he was gay to anyone, especially his family. Being away from his family made it easier for him to live the life he loved. He was, for a time, living with another Asian man. Their relationship hit a dead end when Jun was being pressured by his family to settle down with a woman and have a family of his own.

Jun Lin was fairly alone in Canada and had tried a few apps to meet people, including Tindr. It was revealed later that he met Luka Magnotta after he had posted an ad on Craigslist; both being very provocative, discussing bondage. Not much else is really know about the rather private Jun Lin. His family arrived in Canada, and he was cremated on July 11th, then was buried at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery (Montreal).

Concerns were brough forward by his family, with them feeling that Canada will not handle the case right; believing this was a hate crime and Canada was being lenient with the perpetrator.

Needless to say, this court case was high profile and EVERYONE was watching what the outcome would be...

On June 19th, Luka Magnotta appeared via video to the courts, he plead not guilty to all charges and requested a trial by judge AND jury on June 21, 2012.

The court proceedings began with a bit of a mess. Magnotta's defense team was requesting a publicity ban on the trial, which was quickly denied. Now you also have to know the proceedings didn't begin until 2013; with Jun Lin's father arriving for the court case. Then to top things off, on March 13, 2013 one of the lawyers working on Magnotta's defense team resigned due to conflict of interests. (The reasoning behind this was never disclosed).

Experts of varying degrees testified as well as some witnesses. The trial appeared to weigh heavily on everyone; to the point that at different times, both Magnotta and Diran Lin (Ju's father) collapsed in the court room. I really could not imagine as a parent having to witness a video of the inconceivable acts Magnotta performed on his son.

On April 12, 2013, Luka Rocco Magnotta was indicted on the following charges:

1. first degree murder
2. offering indignities to a human body
3. distributing obscene materials
4. using the postal service as means of distributing such materials
5. criminal harassment.

Surprisingly, Magnotta admitted to all the charges but claimed diminished mental capacity. The trial began on September 29, 2014 and lasted 10 weeks, with the judge instructing the jury that Magnotta already admitted to guilt, and their role was to determine if he was of sound mind.

Things didn't look to good for the crown/prosecutor when experts could not, without a doubt, say the items they found were the actual weapons of the crime and connected to Magnotta. Defense claimed that Magnotta was in a psychotic state when he killed Lin, but prosecution showed that the murder and all acts prior and after were carefully planned. 

Defense also had an expert testify that Magnotta revealed one of his abusive clients named "Manny" was in the room, telling him what to do, when he did it. This was debunked when it was shown that Magnotta was simply using the aliases from the movie "Basic Instinct".

Magnotta, being the coward he was, (at least in my opinion... although brilliant from a legal standpoint), did not take the stand at any point in the trial.

The jury was sequestered on December 15, 2014, they deliberated for 8 days before coming back with a guilty verdict on ALL charges. 

For the murder of Jun Lin, Luka Magnotta would get life in prison, which here in Canada means he serves 25 years before he is even eligible for parole. 

Fortunately he was sentenced to another 19 years for the animal cruelty acts he committed; BUT he was to serve these sentences concurrently (meaning he would serve them at the same time!!!)

Magnotta filed an appeal, citing errs on the judge's part, but the appeal was later withdrawn.

Crown experts and defense experts all agreed that Luka Magnotta had mental health issues, including borderline personality disorder (BPD), paranoid schizophrenia, paraphilia (sexual attraction to objects, places, fantasies, etc.) and narcissistic personality disorders... Thankfully, the jury made the right decision and didn't allow him to use mental illness as a scapegoat!!! He is currently serving time in La Macaza Institution in Quebec.

I want to end this blurb saying this... I don't think we should give Luka Magnotta the last word... nor the name that remains on our tongues and in our thoughts. He is unworthy of that. Let us all remember ...

         Jun Lin (December 30, 1978 - May 24/25, 2012) May he rest in paradise.

~Phoenix