Wednesday 8th July 2026 GRAND TURK, Turks and Caicos Islands
After under 2 hours of deliberation during their lunch break, a Grand Turk Supreme Court jury, on Tuesday 07th July, 2026, found Jevano Arthur and Archley Forbes guilty of the murder of Evenson Walkin aka Archie, bringing to a close one of Turks and Caicos Islands’ murder trials.
The verdict followed a trial in which the Crown relied principally on the evidence of Dimitri Guerrier , who testified that he recognized the gunmen wearing no mask during the fatal shooting of Walkin on October 10, 2024. Dimitri Guerrier told the court that he delayed coming forward because he feared for his own safety and that of his family, a point emphasized by the prosecution during its closing address.
Crown Public Prosecutor Ms. Rose Ann Richardson urged jurors to accept Guerrier account as one of recognition rather than mistaken identity, noting that he consistently maintained that three men fired at his cousin and that, as he fled, he observed a fourth individual concealed in nearby bushes. Prosecutors argued that, although Guerrier acknowledged gaps in his memory and certain discrepancies between his testimony and his police statements, he remained unwavering on the central issue of who participated in the shooting.
The prosecution also challenged alibi evidence presented on behalf of Arthur. Arthur’s father testified that his son was at home with his family at the time of the killing. Public Prosecutor submitted that the evidence was implausible and suggested that sufficient time had elapsed for the account to have been concocted after Arthur’s arrest. Jurors were reminded, however, that the burden of proof remained with the Crown and that neither defendant was required to testify.
In response, the defence mounted a vigorous attack on Garrier’s credibility, drawing attention to inconsistencies in his various some seven statements to police and his evidence in court. Defence counsels Mrs Lara Maroof-Misick and Mr. James Shepherd further referred to information Guerrier had previously provided to investigators in unrelated matters, contending that some of those accounts was demonstrably false and therefore cast doubt on the reliability of his testimony in the present case.
Despite those challenges, the jury was ultimately satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Arthur and Forbes acted together in the unlawful killing of Walkin. Guilty verdicts were returned against both men on Tuesday afternoon around 2:20 pm.
Arthur and Forbes are scheduled to return to the Grand Turk Supreme Court for sentencing on September 21, 2026. The convictions mark a significant milestone for Walkin’s family and friends and for the justice system’s efforts to address gun violence across the Territory.
Eagle Legal News will continue to follow this case and will provide further detail reporting and legal analysis in future editions.
