The boyfriend of 22-year-old Stacy Walton, whose lifeless body was pulled from a canal at Number 7 Village, East Berbice, is expected to be charged with manslaughter.
The charge comes following legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and a police investigation that raised serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding Walton’s death.
Dead: Stacy Walton
The suspect, who is the owner of the car Walton was driving, is expected to appear before the Reliance Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Police had initially reported that around 01:50h last Friday, Walton, of Alexander Street, New Amsterdam, was driving motorcar, PAG 2279, when it veered off the road and plunged into a trench. She was reportedly wearing her seatbelt and had been consuming alcohol earlier in the evening.
Public-spirited citizens noticed the submerged vehicle and assisted in removing Walton from the car. She was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
However, following a post-mortem examination conducted by Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan, which gave the cause of death as asphyxia and drowning, family members have voiced strong suspicions of foul play. Walton’s father, Raoul Walton, has publicly alleged that his daughter was murdered and has called for justice.
The family also questioned the physical evidence at the crash scene. Raoul Walton said that when he visited the area where the incident occurred, the wheel marks and trajectory of the vehicle raised doubts about whether the crash happened as reported. “Even if she had fallen asleep while driving, the car would not have taken that angle into the trench,” he noted.
Further suspicion arose from the boyfriend’s presence at the scene. Police said the man’s clothing was wet, suggesting he had been in the trench. However, he told investigators he arrived after others had already started removing Walton from the vehicle, claims that police allegedly found inconsistent.
Investigators suspect that the boyfriend may have forced Walton into the trench.
Reports also surfaced of a heated argument between Walton and the suspect earlier that evening, further raising suspicions.
Initially hesitant to speak out, the Walton family broke their silence after the post-mortem results were released. They insist that Stacy, a mother of one, was a victim of domestic violence that ended in her death.
