Slain Penal man buried, suspect faced magistrate

The 19-year-old man from Penal who was stabbed to death on the roadway near his home last week has been hailed as an extraordinary person.

On Thursday, Carlyle Hamilton, also known as Christian, Chubby and Blacks, was buried at the Batchyia cemetery after a service at the David Willams Recreation Ground in Penal.

At the funeral, which was streamed live on YouTube, a mourner said although Hamilton had various names, one thing that was always constant was “the indelible mark he left in our lives.”

She shared fond memories of his childhood days, adding he disliked rice but loved roti. The mourner said that he had a passion for football and dreamt of joining the army since he was a child. The mourner referred to Hamilton as remarkable, adding he was his father’s (Cedric’s) “pride and joy.”

“He will forever hold a special place in our hearts,” she told mourners.

On September 8, Hamilton was walking along Hibiscus Drive, off Latchoos Road, where the suspect, 20, stabbed him and ran off. Hamilton was taken to the Siparia District Health Facility, where he died. The suspect, Sherwin Baptiste, also from the area, later surrendered to the police.

On Tuesday evening, Homicide Bureau of Investigations (Region III) police charged him with Hamilton’s murder after receiving instructions from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Baptiste faced a Siparia magistrate on Wednesday. The magistrate denied bail and remanded Baptiste into police custody.