A cold case murder in Gwinnett County finally has a suspect in custody after more than four years.
The Gwinnett County Police Department announced Thursday that Carmen Marie Hunt, age 50 of Lawrenceville, who was already jailed for an alleged 2022 crime, has now been charged with felony murder in the July, 2019 death of Ray Neal, age 61, also of Lawrenceville.
Neal had been found dead by his sister in his home on Lexington Drive. Blood had been found in various places in the residence, and funeral home workers later noticed suspicious injuries to his neck. Two days later, a Gwinnett County Medical Examiner determined the injuries were stab wounds, and Neal's death was ruled a homicide.
"In 2024, Sgt. Hegwood, the supervisor of the Cold Case Unit received a phone call from a family member of Ray Neal," Thursday's release from Gwinnett police said. "The family member believed Carmen Marie Hunt was the person who killed Neal.
Hunt had already been jailed in 2022 for allegedly stabbing another person. She now faces additional charges of felony murder and aggravated assault from the Neal case.
Hunt remains in the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.
