THE case surrounding the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Kenesha Vaughn is set to move to the High Court after a magistrate ruled that there is enough evidence for her reputed husband, Marlon Da Silva, to stand trial for murder.
The decision was delivered on Tuesday by Senior Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts, bringing the preliminary inquiry to a close.
Da Silva, 33, has been committed to face trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes, where the capital offence of murder will be determined by a judge and jury.
In handing down his ruling, Magistrate Bess rejected a no-case submission made by the defence, which argued that the prosecution’s evidence fell short of the legal threshold required to send the matter to trial. Instead, the magistrate concluded that a prima facie case for murder had been established.
Throughout the inquiry, Da Silva maintained that he acted in self-defence. After the court ruled that he had a case to answer, he elected to give an unsworn statement, telling the court that he feared for his life during the incident. His attorneys urged the magistrate to consider a reduction of the charge to manslaughter, but that submission was not accepted.
The charge arises from a deadly confrontation on February 22, 2025, at the couple’s Diamond, East Bank Demerara home. According to reports presented to the court, an argument erupted after Vaughn asked Da Silva to return home from socialising.
The confrontation escalated, and it is alleged that Da Silva slapped Vaughn, prompting her to arm herself with a knife and approach him.
Prosecutors alleged that Da Silva then removed a licensed firearm from his waistband and fired several shots, striking Vaughn multiple times. She collapsed at the scene and was later pronounced dead at the Diamond Regional Hospital.
A post-mortem examination revealed that she sustained 12 gunshot wounds. Police have also stated that Da Silva was highly intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Following the shooting, Da Silva reportedly contacted the police and was subsequently arrested and charged. He first appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune in February 2025, where he was remanded to prison.
Da Silva and Vaughn share a child. He was represented by attorneys Glenn Hanoman, Sanjeev Datadin, and Everton Singh-Lammy. The prosecution was conducted by attorneys Kiswana Jefford and Nigel Hughes on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.