After a four-year investigation, the Gwinnett County Police Department’s Homicide Unit has solved a cold case involving the death of Ray Neal. The break in the case came after new information provided by a family member to detectives and crime scene specialists.
In 2024, the supervisor of the Gwinnett’s Cold Case Unit received a tip from a family member of Ray Neal. The family member implicated Carmen Marie Hunt, 50, of Lawrenceville, revealing that Hunt allegedly had a violent past including a stabbing incident in 2022 for which she was incarcerated. This new information prompted police to revisit the unsolved case.
Upon reassessing the evidence, authorities reviewed security footage, conducted additional interviews and enlisted the help of Crime Scene Specialists Heather Johnson and Judy Nicholson to reexamine fingerprints collected from the crime scene. With these fresh leads and a clearer timeline of events, investigators were able to gather new evidence linking Hunt to Neal’s death.
On the strength of the updated evidence, authorities brought Hunt in for questioning. Based on new statements and forensic findings, Hunt was charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with Neal’s 2019 death.
Hunt remains in custody in the Gwinnett County Jail on charges related to the 2022 stabbing incident and the newly issued warrants for Neal’s murder.
Background
The case began on July 20, 2019, when Gwinnett County officers were dispatched to a medical call at 475 Lexington Drive in Lawrenceville. Ray Neal, 61, of Lawrenceville, was found deceased by his sister, who had gone to check on him after he failed to respond to repeated phone calls.
At first, it wasn’t clear whether Neal’s death was related to his known medical conditions or if it was the result of a crime. Blood was found in several areas of the home, but it was not until the body was examined by the Medical Examiner’s Office that stab wounds were identified on Neal’s neck.
The case was classified as a homicide, but it remained unsolved until this year.
