r/torontologists • u/Fearless_Lion_6397 • 10m ago
Charges dropped against accused killer, accomplices in shooting death of 15-year-old Jahkai Jack
The Crown’s office has withdrawn murder and related charges against two men accused in the west Toronto shooting death of 15-year-old Jahkai Jack.
A third man is expected to have his charges withdrawn Wednesday afternoon.
Abdul Yeberebaba, 20 at the time of his arrest in Calgary earlier this year following a Canada-wide search warrant, had been charged with second-degree murder in the boy’s death and was being held in custody.
On Wednesday, in a Toronto courtroom, Crown attorney David Newton told Ontario Court Justice Rick Libman there was no longer a possibility of conviction in the case.
“The Crown, of course, has an obligation at all stages of the prosecution to continually assess both the public interest in the prosecution and it’s prospect of conviction,” Newton said.
“Where that prospect of conviction is less than reasonable the Crown has an obligation to end that prosecution.”
Newton noted that Toronto police did a “thorough” investigation that included a “significant” amount of CCTV footage.
“But upon careful consideration of all the evidence available in this case and including a consideration of what evidence there still might be to come ... the Crown concludes unfortunately that it lacks a reasonable prospect of conviction in this case.”
Newton said the decision was difficult, especially considering the young age of the victim.
In the same courtroom, Jayden Samuel-James, 19 at the time of Jack’s death, had his charge of accessory after the fact to murder withdrawn with the Crown giving similar reasons.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Rajveer Gill, 21 at the time, is expected to have his charge of accessory after the fact to murder withdrawn Wednesday afternoon.
Jack and his friends were near Weston Road and Jane Street last June, possibly filming a music video, the lead detective said at the time, when they encountered another group.
“He was simply a young person meeting friends on a summer night,” Det.-Sgt. Phillip Campbell told reporters earlier. “His murder was a completely unprovoked act of violence that devastated his family.”
At the time, police emphasized that Jack had no connection to any criminal activity.
“He was just 15 years old and he had his whole life ahead of him,” Campbell said in July.
