Kaneville security officer pleads guilty to manslaughter in “Wrong Turn” killing

– video captured fatal confrontation after fight at shop

A Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD) security officer who was initially indicted for murder has pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter in connection with the 2022 killing of Devon Small during a confrontation at “Wrong Turn”, Kaneville.

The case was heard before Justice Joy Persaud-Singh, at the Georgetown High Court.
Marlon Hunte had originally been charged with the murder of 35-year-old Small, of Lot 383 Matthew Street, Kaneville, following the deadly incident on September 18, 2022.
Hunte was represented by Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd while the State’s case was presented by Prosecutors Padma Dubraj, Nelissa Peterkin, and Alleya Haywood.
According to reports, the two men were well known to each other and had been drinking together at a shop in Kaneville on the night of the incident. An argument reportedly broke out between the men while they were imbibing and escalated into a fight.
Investigators said that following the altercation, Hunte left on his bicycle while Small drove away in his motor car. However, the confrontation reportedly continued moments later when Small’s vehicle collided with Hunte’s bike.
It is alleged that Hunte then armed himself with a blade, went over to the driver’s side of the vehicle, and stabbed Small multiple times.
The violent encounter was captured on video. During the investigation, Hunte also participated in a recorded interview with Police and later accompanied investigators back to the scene, where he reportedly demonstrated and explained how the incident unfolded.
A post-mortem examination conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Mortuary by forensic pathologist, Dr Nehaul P Singh revealed that Small sustained three stab wounds, two to the left side of the chest and one to the right arm.
The examination also found several abrasions to the shoulder and forehead, along with a superficial wound to the neck.
According to the post-mortem findings, one of the stab wounds penetrated the chest wall and pierced the heart, while another punctured the left lung, causing significant internal bleeding and collapse of the lung. The wound to the right arm severed blood vessels.
Dr Singh concluded that Small died from stab wounds which pierced the heart and left lung, resulting in fatal internal bleeding.
Following the killing, Hunte, 35, was charged and appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in September 2022 at the Diamond-Grove Magistrate’s Court, where he was remanded to prison after being denied bail on the indictable murder charge.
He has since admitted to unlawfully killing Small after pleading guilty to manslaughter, and is set to be sentenced on June 2.