William Mullins-Johnson of Sault Ste. Marie was found guilty of the first-degree murder of his niece, Valin Johnson, after a two and half week trial in September 1994. He was convicted after a jury trial in which Smith's evidence played a major role in determining the time of death, the cause of death and whether the girl had been sexually assaulted. Mullins-Johnson had babysat Valin, 4, and her 3-year-old brother on the evening of June 26, 1993. When the girl's mother returned home, she did not check on her daughter. At 7 a.m. the next day she found Valin dead in bed.