Zakk Lafferty Convicted of Murdering Deijean Drybones in 2023

Zakk Lafferty has been convicted of second-degree murder in connection with the 2023 death of 17-year-old Deijean Drybones in Behchokǫ̀.

The jury announced its unanimous decision on Friday after deliberating for slightly less than one day. A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence.

Retrial Followed Earlier Mistrial

Lafferty was originally charged with murder in 2023. His first trial ended in October 2025 when the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, resulting in a mistrial.

A second trial began last week and concluded with the guilty verdict.

Victim Identified Lafferty Before His Death

The Crown’s case relied mainly on a recorded interview with Drybones shortly before his death. During that interview, the teenager said Lafferty was the person who stabbed him.

Defence lawyers argued that RCMP investigators developed “tunnel vision” and concentrated too heavily on Lafferty despite the existence of other possible suspects.

Minimum Parole Ineligibility Set at 10 Years

Following the verdict, Lafferty was remanded into custody. The Crown and defence are expected to decide on August 10 when the formal sentencing hearing will be held.

Although the conviction results in a life sentence, the jury did not recommend increasing the minimum period Lafferty must serve before becoming eligible to apply for parole. The minimum remains 10 years.

Judge Rejects Unreasonable Trial Delay Claim

In a related written decision released on Friday, Justice David Gates ruled that Lafferty’s Charter right to be tried within a reasonable period had not been violated.

The case concluded approximately 37 months after Lafferty was first charged, exceeding the established 30-month ceiling generally applied by Canadian courts.

However, Gates determined that 284 days between the mistrial and the completion of the retrial should be excluded as an “exceptional circumstance.” After deducting that period, the remaining delay fell below the threshold required to establish a Charter breach.

Zakk Lafferty’s second-degree murder conviction brings the retrial over Deijean Drybones’ death to an end. Lafferty now faces life imprisonment and must serve at least 10 years before becoming eligible to seek parole. A date for the sentencing hearing will be determined by the Crown and defence.