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Stacy Walton Case: Dejonge awaits August paper committal as matter gains momentum
(Kaieteur News) – The paper committal hearing in the long-awaited case of Alfred Dejonge, charged in connection with the death of 22-year-old Stacy Walton, is now set to proceed at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court in just over a month.
The hearing had originally been scheduled for Thursday, July 2, but was pushed back after Dejonge’s attorney, Chandra Sohan, was engaged at the High Court before the Chief Justice.
Dead: Stacy Walton.
Magistrate Michelle Matthias subsequently set August 6, 2026 as the new date, at which point she will review the case file and determine whether a prima facie case exists to send the matter to trial.
Charged with manslaughter: Alfred Dejonge.
Overseas-based attorney Rabi S. Sukul, who has taken up the family’s cause after learning of their financial circumstances, appeared virtually and urged the court to be mindful of the parents’ growing frustration — particularly that of the father, who he said has attended every hearing and waited for hours, only to see the matter postponed and a new date set each time.
The father, Raoul Walton, has been outspoken about what he sees as unnecessary delays in a case that has now dragged on for approximately a year without significant progress. Speaking to this publication, the parents described months of frustration compounding their grief as they continue to seek justice for their daughter.
Sukul told the court that a firm date would reassure the family that there is no deliberate delay, and that certainty about the August 6 date would carry real weight for the father, helping him leave court with greater peace of mind.
Magistrate Matthias acknowledged the family’s concerns and explained to the Waltons that the case, which is indictable, is proceeding without irregularity. She noted that the prosecution has 45 days to file statements, and the defence is given the same 45-day window to obtain statements and decide whether to submit any on Dejonge’s behalf. The court, she added, retains discretion to grant either side an extension where a reasonable explanation is provided.
Should sufficient evidence emerge from the statements and exhibits on file, the matter will be committed to the High Court for trial, Matthias said. If the evidence is found insufficient, the charge against Dejonge would not proceed and he would be released.
Dejonge, 46, of New Amsterdam, Berbice, was first charged with manslaughter when he appeared at the Reliance Magistrates’ Court on June 25 last year. He was granted $1 million bail, and the case was later transferred to the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court.
Stacy Walton, a young businesswoman of Alexander Street, New Amsterdam, died on June 20, 2025, in what was initially reported as a vehicular accident in which her car went into a canal along the No. 7 Public Road, East Coast Berbice. Investigators later found inconsistencies in the account given by Dejonge, who was Walton’s boyfriend at the time.
On June 20 this year, relatives and friends gathered to mark the first anniversary of her death.
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