The 31-year-old man facing a first-degree murder charge in the homicide of Nova Scotia battle rapper Pat Stay, has been charged again with a 2016 homicide.
Adam Joseph Drake was arraigned Monday afternoon at Halifax Provincial Court. He faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the 2016 murder of 27-year-old Tyler Keizer in Halifax.
Keizer was shot on Nov. 21, 2016, while in a vehicle on Gottingen Street and later died in hospital. Drake was arraigned on that murder in 2019, but the charge was withdrawn in October 2021 — just days before his trial was set to begin.
A year later, in the early hours of Sept. 4, acclaimed rapper Patrick Wayne Stay was killed in a stabbing in downtown Halifax.
Drake was arrested about a week later in the Halifax suburb of Tantallon and faces a first-degree murder charge in that case. He is due back in court for that charge later this week.
‘Emotion in the courtroom’
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Drake attended provincial court just before 2 p.m. on Monday.
The moment Drake walked into the courtroom, a commotion was heard from inside and a member of Keizer’s family was removed.
Drake was in the courtroom for a matter of minutes, before the case was put over.
After adjournment, Crown attorney Rick Woodburn spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.
“Certainly, there was some emotion in the courtroom today. The judge asked that person to leave and they did,” Woodburn said, adding it’s “nothing unusual” for cases like this.
“The information was laid against Adam Drake for the murder of Tyler Keizer. He was arrested downstairs, he was brought up and it was set over for a month. They’re going to review disclosure,” he said.
The lawyer said there was a “couple terabytes” of disclosure to give, though he would not provide detail on its contents.
Keizer’s mother, Lisa Kravis, was filled with emotion after the brief hearing.
“I didn’t really think we would see this day. I have to thank everybody involved in getting us here,” said Kravis.
“I pray that nothing unexpected, like dropping a murder charge, is gonna come up.”
Kravis said when the first murder charge was dropped, she “lost some faith in the justice system,” but after being in touch with them for the past year, she has hope.
“I really feel like they did what they had to do. It’s as honest as I can get,” Kravis said.
“I know it’s really hard on (Drake’s) family to hear this, but if he’s not kept where he is now, he is going to kill somebody else. I said that when they dropped the murder charge and I’ll say it again today,” she said about the allegations against Drake.
Woodburn said the police investigation into Drake continued the day the initial charges were withdrawn.
“Police are doing exactly like they’re supposed to be doing, which is continue to investigate even after the matter was dropped,” he said.
Drake’s next hearing at Halifax Provincial Court was set for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 28.
— With a file from Rebecca Lau
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