Jury finds 2 guilty in fruit vendor death

In the Supreme Court today, two men were found guilty of manslaughter in the death of fruit vendor Ernest Rhaburn in 1997. A jury of 7 women and 2 men found Darrel Mayor and Kelvin Reneau guilty after four hours of deliberation this afternoon. Acting Chief Justice Troadio Gonzalez will not pronounce sentence until Monday after he has heard their mitigation pleas. On October 19th, 1997 Billy Sanchez took oranges out of a pickup which belonged to Ernest Rhaburn on Ceasar Ridge Road. An argument ensued between Sanchez and Rhaburn, who was then joined by three others, Curnel Ferguson, Kelvin Francis and Darrel Mayor. Witnesses testified that the fight became a free for all, and ended with Rhaburn being stabbed and killed. Samuel Billy Sanchez and Curnel Ferguson pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter before the Chief Justice in the January session, and were each sentenced to 18 years in prison. Kelvin Reneau’s attorney Simeon Sampson had argued that his only fault was being “too inquisitive,” and that he had no knife, no gun and he dealt no blow. Reneau claimed he was only on the scene for about five seconds, but the jury apparently didn’t buy his story. D.P.P. Adolph Lucas prosecuted. All four accused men spent 16 months awaiting trial on the charge of murder, until Sanchez and Ferguson pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter and Mayor and Reneau were granted bail.