Police have charged a Halifax man with second-degree murder in the 2017 death of Benjamin Loka Lokeny, thanks to information obtained through the Nova Scotia Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes program.
Troy Edward William Clayton, 52, was arrested on March 22.
Lokeny was found injured at the corner of Buddy Daye and Gottingen streets on the evening of July 20, 2017.
The 51-year-old man had a head injury and was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died on Aug. 28, 2017.
This month — a year-and-a-half after his death — police ruled his death a homicide. Police said they believed he had been assaulted by another man who was known to him.
The case was added to the province’s Rewards for Unsolved Crimes Program last Tuesday, March 19.
The program offers $150,000 to anyone who has information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a crime.
Supt. Jim Perrin, the officer in charge of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division, confirmed the rewards program played a role in the arrest.
“I can confirm that the Nova Scotia rewards program did factor into this particular case,” he said.
“There were some developments late last week that extended over the weekend, which brings us to today and the laying of charges.”
Perrin says police are not planning on making any other arrests in this case, but if they receive additional information, they will consider it at that time.
“We believe we’re now there and appropriate charges were laid.”
Clayton has been remanded and is scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial Court on Monday to face a charge of second-degree murder.
Halifax Regional Police are asking anyone who has information about Benjamin’s murder to call 902-490-5016 or Crime Stoppers.