Man charged in death of rapper Pat Stay now faces new charges for 2016 murder

Crown lawyers reinstated murder charges against Adam Drake in the 2016 murder of Tyler Keizer at Halifax provincial court on Monday. The previous murder charge was dropped in October 2021 after the Crown said there was no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction.

Drake is also facing a murder charge following the stabbing death of rapper Pat Stay on Sept. 4 in downtown Halifax.

Keizer was in a sports utility vehicle on Gottingen Street in Halifax when he was shot on Nov. 21, 2016. He later died in hospital. 

In October 2021, Crown prosecutor Rick Hartlen told Justice Denise Boudreau that he was withdrawing the murder charge because there was no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction.

According to Crown prosecutor Rick Woodburn, even after charges were dropped police did "exactly what they're supposed to be doing" and continued to investigate the case.

"Today the information was laid up against Adam Drake for the murder of Tyler Keizer," Woodburn said.

In 2021, Rick Hartlen, the Crown prosecutor at the time, said the family was upset and felt they were denied justice when charges were dropped.

Speaking outside the court Monday, Woodburn told reporters he informed the family that charges would be laid again.

Keizer's mother, Lisa Kravis, said she was told by the lead detective in the case on Friday that charges would be laid against Drake again.

She said she lost some faith in the justice system when the initial charge was dropped and she was "keeping the faith" it wouldn't happen again.

"The justice system has talked to me through this whole thing as well as the Halifax Regional Police and I really feel that they did what they had to do," she said. "That's as honest as I can get ... trust your instincts."

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