GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — For nearly five years, Ray Neal’s family refused to accept his death as natural, pushing for answers until their persistence led police to his accused killer.
Carmen Hunt, 50, faced a judge Wednesday for charges of felony murder and aggravated assault in the death of Neal, 61, who was found stabbed multiple times in his Gwinnett County home in 2019.
Sgt. Micah Hegwood of the Gwinnett County Police Department testified that Neal’s family discovered his body after not hearing from him for days.
Bloodstains were found on his bed and floor, and an autopsy later confirmed he had been stabbed with a large kitchen knife.
Neal’s death was initially ruled natural by the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office until funeral home staff spotted suspicious wounds.
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Hunt initially denied being at Neal’s home that night, but Hegwood said she later admitted to stabbing him, claiming it was self-defense while trying to buy drugs after he attempted to force himself on her.
However, investigators say forensic evidence does not support that claim.
“She’s the one saying she pushed him off, but it appeared to us he tried to get away and fell to the floor,” said Sgt. Hegwood.
Hunt was already in jail for the alleged stabbing of another person during a drug deal in 2022, investigators said.
Neal’s niece, Ashli Haynes, was in court for the hearing, saying the experience was overwhelming.
“A lot of emotions, a lot of anger, frustration,” she said, “especially hearing her side.”
Haynes says Neal’s family helped police connect the murder to Hunt in 2024.
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“We put things together and took it to the detectives,” Haynes said. “And it panned out to be right.”
The judge ordered Neal to remain in jail after Wednesday’s court proceeding.
Hunt’s attorney, Robert Nothdurft Jr. of Nothdurft Law, said the case went cold for years, and he intends to scrutinize the evidence presented by police.
“I think it’s important we not rush to judgment,” Nothdurft said. “The deeper we dig, the more that should have been investigated back in 2019.”
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For Neal’s family, the hearing was another step toward finding justice.
“It feels great. My family can breathe again. We know what went on, we know who did it. Now we can close this chapter,” Haynes said.
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