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Written by: E. George
Published January 31, 2025 @ 12:15 PM ET
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – A woman who had already been incarcerated for a separate stabbing incident in 2022 has now been charged in connection with the 2019 stabbing death of 61-year-old Ray Neal in Gwinnett County. This new development in the case comes after years of uncertainty about the cause of Neal’s death, which initially had been misclassified as due to natural causes.
The story began in July 2019 when Ray Neal was found dead. At first, authorities believed he passed away from natural causes. However, suspicions grew when a funeral home discovered that Neal had been stabbed multiple times.
This discrepancy prompted further investigation. It was later revealed that the cause of death had been incorrectly recorded twice by a Gwinnett County medical examiner’s investigator, who faced disciplinary action as a result.
Despite these missteps, the case remained unresolved until a breakthrough occurred in 2024. A family member of Neal’s reached out to the Gwinnett County Police Department Cold Case Unit, bringing attention to Carmen Marie Hunt, 50, as a possible suspect in Neal’s death. Hunt, who had been in jail since 2022 for stabbing someone else, was soon linked to the 2019 murder.
Upon further investigation, law enforcement uncovered new evidence that led to Hunt being formally charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. She remains in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail, facing both the charges from 2022 and the new warrants related to Neal’s death.
Neal’s sister expressed disbelief that her brother’s death had originally been attributed to natural causes. “There’s no way. It was too much blood,” Smalls said, underscoring her doubt regarding the initial ruling.
The investigator who first handled the case had likely misjudged the situation, possibly because Neal suffered from several health conditions, including hepatitis C. The blood loss associated with the stabbing may have been mistakenly interpreted as part of his natural health decline.
This case is currently pending in court.