Carmen Marie Hunt (Courtesy of the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office)
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A 52-year-old Dacula woman was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of murder for the fatal July 2019 stabbing of a man during a drug purchase in Lawrenceville.
What we know:
A jury found Carmen Marie Hunt, 52, guilty of malice murder and two counts of felony murder in the death of 61-year-old Ray Anthony Neal.
Neal's sister dropped him off at his Lawrenceville home on the night of July 19, 2019, and discovered him stabbed to death the following day when he failed to respond to calls.
Investigators collected evidence and interviewed witnesses over several years, eventually matching Hunt’s fingerprints to a print found at the 2019 crime scene.
Though Hunt admitted seeing Neal the night before his body was found, she initially denied attacking him.
PREVIOUS STORY: Family helps police solve Gwinnett County cold case murder mystery, officials say
In 2022, Hunt was arrested after stabbing 58-year-old Derrick Gray Young in Lawrenceville in front of a witness.
Young survived, and police recovered the knives used in the assault.
Hunt later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault after claiming self-defense.
During the murder trial, jurors heard testimony from Young and viewed police interview footage where Hunt muttered to herself, "You didn't get away with this murder," after investigators left the room.
What we don't know:
Officials have not released specific details regarding the exact type or brand of knives recovered during the 2022 incident. Authorities have also not disclosed any additional statements from Neal's family following the verdict.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office.