Man pleads guilty to murder after stabbing neighbor over loud gospel radio

Christopher Wood, 69, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of his neighbor, Etop Ituen, following a dispute over loud gospel music. The sentencing hearing on Thursday focused on the weight the judge should give to Wood's significant mental health issues when determining his parole eligibility.

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Ituen was a vulnerable man as well. Living with mental health issues. The manner in which he was killed should be of note. He was stabbed multiple times. The impact on him was a horrific death. We know he was found not moving and unresponsive by police.

Wood admitted to stabbing Ituen repeatedly with a knife, causing his death. He also acknowledged intending to cause Ituen's death or serious bodily harm. The incident occurred on July 27, 2023, after Wood had reportedly been preoccupied and disturbed for months by Ituen playing gospel radio loudly from his balcony at their shared apartment building on Coxwell Avenue in East York.

Both Wood and Ituen resided in buildings run by organizations providing support for individuals with mental health issues. Assistant Crown attorneys Brianne Bovell and Jackson Foreman presented the case, noting that two forensic psychiatrists assessed Wood but could not support a "not criminally responsible" defense. The Crown is seeking a 14-year period of parole ineligibility, highlighting the "horrific death" Ituen endured, having been stabbed 42 times and found unresponsive by police.

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This person complained at that time about the gospel radio.

Evidence presented included a statement from another neighbor, Christopher Miller, who recalled Wood complaining about the gospel radio two days before the stabbing. Police also obtained surveillance video showing Wood at the rear of Ituen's building on July 25. Additionally, Wood's social worker received a note from him on the morning of the stabbing, in which Wood described feeling "suicidal" and "murderous." Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence with parole ineligibility ranging from 10 to 25 years.

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suicidal and murderous