FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — A man was found guilty Thursday evening of first-degree murder in the 2018 shooting death of his wife one room away from where her 6-year-old was watching TV.
Keith John Johansen was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the death of his wife Brandi Celenza after the jury took less than three hours to reach their unanimous decision, according to the State Attorney’s office.
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“A mother is murdered by her husband and her six-year-old child is left to suffer the consequences. Life in prison gives little consolation for such a callous and brutal murder,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said.
From the beginning of the case through this week’s trial, Johansen changed the story of how his wife was shot multiple times, according to a news release from the State Attorney’s office.
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“His first story, when he called 911 the night of the incident was that she shot herself. Later, he said a neighbor did it, then at one point he suggested that the victim’s own 6-years-old son did it and finally, as the trial began, claimed he shot her in self-defense,” according to a news release.
The State Attorney office also said Johansen “showed no remorse at any period of time about his wife’s death” and “his mood ranged from unemotional to disinterest to at certain points, even chuckling about the incident.”
“At the end of the day, the Jury chose not to believe the incredible amount of lies they heard throughout the three-day trial,” the State Attorney’s office said.
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