Attorney-at-law found dead in car with stab wounds to neck

Attorney-at-Law Richard Layne was found with two stab wounds to the neck in his car late Wednesday night, prompting a murder investigation by the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Layne, 35, resided at Lot 183 Century Palm Gardens, D'Urban Backlands, Georgetown, and was discovered in his vehicle between 21:30h and 22:13 h at his residence.

The GPF indicated that Layne lived with his friend, Tony Sulker, a 29-year-old Police Sergeant. According to Layne’s cousin, Michael Harding, the two were spending time together on the evening of the incident.

Harding, a 30-year-old resident of Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), recounted that at around 19:00h, he visited Layne at his home, where they spent time together, with Sulker also present.

Layne expressed a desire for Starbucks coffee, leading both cousins to drive to the MovieTowne branch on the East Coast Demerara (ECD). They returned to Layne's residence around 19:15 h, where Sulker had retired to his room on the upper floor of the house.

After spending some time on the veranda, Harding left for his residence at 20:17 h. He noted that before leaving, he ensured that the attorney locked both the house and yard gates, which were equipped with automatic locks.

He also told investigators that he observed Layne’s Jaguar, with the number plate PYY 2850, parked securely in the garage.

According to Sulker, around 22:00h, he awoke to use the washroom and then went to the kitchen. While there, he noticed Layne’s car parked on the bridge of the premises through a window. Layne was seated in the driver’s seat in a slumped position, appearing motionless.

Sensing something was wrong, Sulker ran outside to check on Layne but found the car doors locked. He then contacted Layne’s 66-year-old mother, who resides in Campbellville. Upon her arrival, they both tried unsuccessfully to open the car doors.

Layne’s mother then instructed Sulker to break the driver-side window with a hammer. After gaining access to the vehicle, they observed that Layne had sustained a wound to his neck and was bleeding. They immediately contacted emergency services and the police.

An ambulance responded to the scene, and Layne was pronounced dead by a doctor from the Georgetown Public Hospital. The scene was processed by detectives, who photographed the area and noted two wounds on Layne’s neck.

His body has since been taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.