HRPD Release:
Speaking Notes from News Conference Held March 16, 2011
HRP Superintendent Stephen Sykes’ Speaking Notes
We are pleased to announce that members in the Halifax Regional Police/RCMP Integrated Major Crime Unit have charged two additional people in connection with the homicide of Brandon Hatcher who was shot and killed outside a Lavender Walk address on December 3 last year.
A 17-year-old male youth was arrested last Thursday, March 10 at the Waterville Youth Detention Centre where he is incarcerated on another matter. He was brought to Police Headquarters for questioning and returned to Waterville the following day. He is scheduled to appear in Halifax Youth Court this afternoon to face a charge of first degree murder.
Twenty-one year-old Cody Alexander Muise of Halifax was arrested at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 12 at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility where he is incarcerated on an unrelated matter. He was brought to Police Headquarters for questioning and was returned to the Correctional Facility later that same day. He is scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial Court this afternoon to face a charge of first degree murder.
These charges result in three people in total being charged with the murder of Brandon Hatcher. We announced the charge against the third accused last week. He is an 18-year-old man whose name cannot be released as he was a youth at the time of the offence.
In addition to the first degree murder charges, we believe that people assisted the three accused either before or after the crime. Our investigation is on-going and we anticipate additional charges will be laid. We are actively pursuing charges for accessory to murder against several people.
We believe the outcome of this investigation will benefit the community at large as we allege the people involved were responsible for other gun violence in our community. Specifically, police have connected this matter to a shooting involving a 22-year-old man on Abrams Way in Halifax which occurred the same night as Mr. Hatcher’s homicide, and to another shooting on October 16 where a 23-year-old woman was shot while at a Spencer Avenue address.
RCMP Inspector Ken Goodine’s Speaking Notes:
With these charges today and any additional charges that follow, HRM Partners in Policing believe we have disrupted the activities of two competing youth gangs in the Spryfield area. We hope this will bring some sense of closure to the family of Brandon Hatcher, and we are optimistic these arrests will have a positive impact on the overall quality of life of those who live in the community. We hope this will help people feel safer when they’re home with their families, when they’re taking their kids to school, and when they get together with their friends and neighbours.
Information from the public was essential to the laying of charges in this investigation. It’s a fact that should not be overlooked. It shows how local residents can have the biggest impact over what happens in their neighbourhoods. When members of a community take a stand against guns – or drugs – or youth gangs – it does make a difference. The charges in this investigation are proof of that.We know there are other families in our community who have also lost loved ones to murder. No matter how much time passes, our officers remain committed to investigating other unsolved homicides. We encourage anyone with information on any unsolved crime in HRM to call police or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
An investigation of this magnitude requires a significant investment of both time and resources in order to reach a successful conclusion. Today’s charges represent the culmination of persistence, cooperation and determination by countless investigators of the HRP/RCMP Integrated Major Crime Unit.
Both Supt. Sykes and I want to thank the police officers and support staff. All have demonstrated dedication, professionalism, and persistence throughout the entire investigative process.
