Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
Two held for soldier’s execution-style killing
Police have detained two people for last Tuesday night’s execution-style killing of army Lance Corporal
Army Lance Corporal Kevon Payne
Kevon Payne, who was gunned down outside his mother’s Sussex Street, Charlestown home.
But that is all that Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum was prepared to say yesterday about the investigation, and about the possible motives for Payne’s murder.
However, Kaieteur News understands that one of the detained men is from Albouystown. Police are said to be checking on a number of theories – one is that a known drug dealer may have ordered Payne’s death.
It is alleged that one of Payne’s brothers, Vellone Thorne, had an argument last week with a drug dealer, who is known to the family.
The argument reportedly turned physical and the drug dealer later threatened to “finish” Payne’s brother.
Kaieteur News was told that the drug dealer told villagers that he has $10M and was willing to pay “the experts” to take out his enemy, because he was too “disrespectful” to him.
There are reports that when Kevon Payne asked for time off from his work on Tuesday after he learnt of the incident involving his brother (Thorne) and the drug dealer. He reportedly went to meet the individual.
“My brother (Kevon) is a peaceful person. He hear that this man said he gun kill our brother and he went and confront he, but this man started to behave stupid, so my brother (Kevon) told him, if he kill my brother, he will have to live in the sky,” Sharmain Thorne, the dead man’s sister said.
Relatives believe that the well known drug dealer organized the soldier’s death after they talked early Tuesday.
“I think they kill Kevon to get to the other brother (Vellone) because they know that he is a road man and it won’t be easy to kill him,” the sibling had stated.
Payne’s stepfather, Rudolph Thorne said that he too had tried to make peace between his son, Vellone and the drug dealer, when he learnt of the incident.
“I meet him (drug dealer) and I ask him what happened and he said that my son disrespectful to him and that he got $10M and he gun get rid of my son,” Thorne said.
The man said that his relatives have already provided the police with the names of the shooter and the drug dealer who they claim arranged the execution-style killing.
Kevon Payne was reportedly shot at least six times by his killer, who arrived on the scene on a white motorcycle and escaped with an accomplice, following a brief exchange of gunfire with police ranks.
Shakel Wilson, a friend of the dead man, was shot in the leg. He is being treated at a private hospital.
Payne’s relatives are claiming that the police too played a part in his death. Amid these reports, the Guyana Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility has launched an investigation.
This newspaper was told that investigators are also testing the weapons of those ranks, who were present at the scene.
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