Guyana Times Reports : A Linden man is set to be sentenced on May 4 after a jury found him guilty of manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of 41-year-old Kevin Seraphin during a violent altercation at a party in 2023.
Keno Lampkin, also known as “Cuz” or “Coues,” of Central Amelia’s Ward, McKenzie, was convicted following a trial before Chief Justice Navindra Singh. After nearly five hours of deliberations, a 12-member jury unanimously acquitted Lampkin of murder but returned an 11–1 majority verdict finding him guilty of manslaughter. Sentencing had originally been scheduled for April 20 but was adjourned and rescheduled to May 4.
The conviction stems from an incident on August 23, 2023, at Speightland, Lower Kara Kara, McKenzie, during which Seraphin was fatally stabbed. The court heard that the confrontation began after Seraphin’s girlfriend was allegedly slapped by another man, prompting Seraphin to intervene. He struck the individual with a bottle, triggering a wider brawl involving several men, some of whom were suspected to be gang-affiliated and one of whom reportedly had a prior dispute with Lampkin, who was also present at the gathering.
Evidence presented showed that Seraphin himself became involved in the violence, stabbing one of the men with a bottle and causing him to fall into a culvert. The confrontation escalated further as multiple individuals attacked Seraphin with bottles, pieces of wood and other objects, forcing him into the culvert and preventing his escape. Prosecution evidence indicated that Lampkin was seen entering the culvert armed with a knife, where Seraphin was stabbed during the melee.
Seraphin managed to escape but collapsed shortly after and was pronounced dead at the Linden Hospital Complex. A post-mortem examination conducted by government pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh on August 24, 2023, determined that he died from perforation of the heart and lung due to a stab wound to the chest.
Lampkin was arrested on September 14, 2023, and when questioned by police denied any involvement, stating he did not stab anyone and was not at the scene. He was identified during an identification parade two days later and charged on September 18, 2023.
At trial, Defence Attorney George Thomas argued that Lampkin was not present at the scene and had instead helped transport an injured person to the Linden Hospital Complex, while also challenging the reliability of the identification parade and suggesting other individuals may have been responsible for the fatal injuries. However, in an unsworn statement from the dock, Lampkin contradicted the defence’s earlier position, admitting he was present but denying participation in the stabbing, claiming he was only a witness.
The prosecution, led by State Counsel Geneva Wills and assisted by State Counsel Christopher Belfield, relied on eyewitness accounts and circumstantial evidence to secure the conviction.
