Home / Crime and Justice / Defence: Police Bias in Teen Stabbing Case
Defence: Police Bias in Teen Stabbing Case
31 Jul
Summary
- Final arguments presented in second-degree murder retrial.
- Defence claims police investigation unfairly focused on suspect.
- Key evidence, including the murder weapon, remains unfound.
Final submissions were presented in the retrial of Zakk Lafferty, accused of the second-degree murder of 17-year-old Deijean Drybones. This second trial, which concluded its second week, follows a previous trial where the jury could not reach a unanimous decision.
The Crown prosecutor argued that Lafferty confronted and stabbed Drybones after a dispute over a phone. Evidence presented included an audio recording of Drybones identifying Lafferty as his attacker. The prosecution noted that despite intoxication, Drybones would have recognized his assailant.
Conversely, the defense argued that the RCMP's investigation was biased, focusing too intently on Lafferty based on early information. Key points raised included the fact that the weapon used in the stabbing was never recovered, and no DNA evidence indicated Lafferty returned to the scene. The jury is anticipated to commence deliberations soon.
