Albouystown drug dealer may have ordered hit on Soldier

Mar 31, 2016 News

An Albouystown drug dealer may have organized the execution of Army Lance Corporal Kevon Payne, who was gunned down outside his mother’s Sussex Street, Charlestown home around 21:00 hrs on Tuesday.

Army Lance Corporal Kevon Payne

This is one of several theories investigators are following as they continue to question several persons in connection with the execution-style killing of the 22-year-old man. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that no one has been arrested as yet. He said that investigators will be conducting a thorough investigation.
According to information received, one of Payne’s brothers, Vellone Thorne, was involved in a heated argument with a drug dealer, who is known to the family– this occurred some time last week.
The argument 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 gone 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 believed 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 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.

Payne’s step father and sister.

“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 gone 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 claimed arranged the execution-style killing of Payne.
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 (GPF)’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.
In tears, the dead man’s mother, Evette Parris, said that she lost her daughter, Creavone Thorne, almost eight years ago and never received justice.
Thorne’s decomposed body was discovered in November 2008 in a trench at Thomas Lands with the throat slit.
Police had arrested her boyfriend but he was later released.
Meanwhile, members from the Guyana Defence Force visited the grieving family to offer their sympathy.
Among the Army officials was Gary Beaton, Commander of the GDF Coast Guard; welfare officers and Nicholas Corbin, the Force Chaplin.
This is the third execution in the city in recent days. The first was O’Riley Small, 31, who was riddled with bullets just as he entered his Smyth Street home.
The second victim was murder accused Steve Mohamed, who was riddled with bullets and dumped in Le Repentir Cemetery.