Paul Chan and Troy Abrams both pled guilty when they appeared before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Demerara on August 6 for the 2019 murders of money changer, Aaron Latchman, and his 18-year-old daughter, Arianna Latchman, at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara.
The duo entered their pleas opting not to go to trial and instead, seek the mercy of the court.
![](https://s1.stabroeknews.com/images/2024/08/Latchmans.jpg)
The incident occurred on July 4, 2019, when the men confronted 47-year-old Latchman and his daughter outside their home as they returned from Georgetown. Witnesses reported that the bandits demanded money and valuables, leading to a scuffle when Latchman resisted. The robbers then opened fire, fatally wounding both father and daughter. Aaron Latchman sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while Arianna was struck by a single, fatal bullet.
Following their guilty pleas, Chan and Abrams, are scheduled to return to court for sentencing on August 30. They are being represented by attorney-at-law, Ronald Bostwick, while the prosecution team includes state counsel, Praneta Seeraj, Taneisha Saygon, Caressa Henry, and Christopher Belfield.