Trial retraces last steps of battle rapper Pat Stay before his death

The trial for the second-degree murder of Adam Drake continued on Friday with the jury hearing testimony that retraced the final movements of Pat Stay before he was tragically killed. Stay, a well-known Dartmouth battle rapper, was stabbed in a downtown Halifax club in the early hours of September 4, 2022. Despite efforts to save him, Stay was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. Drake, who is now 34 years old, was arrested a few days later in connection with the crime.

Corey Ryan Good, a close friend of Stay’s, took the stand on Friday afternoon in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Dartmouth. Good recounted how Stay had attended his wedding on the afternoon of September 3 in Lawrencetown, a community located about 35 kilometers east of Halifax. During the testimony, it was revealed that Stay had released a diss track targeting American rapper The Game just before the wedding, although the reason for their feud was not disclosed.

Following Good’s testimony, Shawn Knowles, the bar manager at Celtic Corner in downtown Dartmouth, provided his account of the events leading up to Stay’s death. Knowles stated that Stay and a group of men had arrived at the bar just before closing time on September 3 and ordered shots and beers before leaving for Halifax where the fatal stabbing occurred.

A significant portion of Friday’s proceedings involved testimony from forensic identification officer Det. Const. Randy Wood, who was called to the crime scene at the Yacht Club Social shortly after the incident took place. Wood described how he meticulously documented the scene, taking videos and photographs of the area where Stay had collapsed after being stabbed. However, during cross-examination by Drake’s lawyer, Michael Lacy, Wood admitted that the chaotic nature of the crime scene made it challenging to ascertain crucial details related to the killing.

Wood also acknowledged that the security footage from the club showed a large amount of traffic passing through the area where the crime took place, including police officers who inadvertently disturbed the evidence. Despite these challenges, Wood was able to document 44 separate footwear impressions around the crime scene, providing valuable forensic evidence for the investigation.

As the trial is scheduled to run for five weeks, proceedings will resume on Tuesday following the holiday weekend. The case has garnered significant attention due to the high-profile nature of both the victim, Pat Stay, and the accused, Adam Drake. Stay, known as the Sucka-Free Boss in the battle rap world, was a beloved figure whose tragic death has left the community in mourning. The outcome of the trial will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on all those involved.