QUEENS, NY – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced the arraignment of Jayson Scott and Richard Swygert on charges related to the 2021 murder of 47-year-old Darius Guillebeaux in South Jamaica. The case, described by DA Katz as a “cold-blooded killing,” involves allegations of a murder-for-hire, where Scott is said to have been contracted to execute the murder.
Jayson Scott, 23, from the Bronx, faces charges of first- and second-degree murder, alongside four counts of criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. Richard Swygert, 22, also from the Bronx, faces charges of second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and reckless endangerment.
The indictment reveals that on June 7, 2021, Guillebeaux was fatally shot at the corner of 148th Street and Rockaway Boulevard. Surveillance footage captured Scott and Swygert entering the nearby South Jamaica Houses before the murder and later getting into a 2007 Silver Elantra. The vehicle dropped them off close to where Guillebeaux was standing.
Further evidence from surveillance video shows the two approaching Guillebeaux, with Scott firing the initial shots. Swygert also discharged his weapon at the victim. Following the shooting, they fled in a red 2017-2018 Hyundai Elantra, which was later seen on Lincoln Avenue in Brooklyn, where both suspects were recorded exiting the vehicle.
Scott’s cell phone tracking corroborates the video surveillance, linking his movements from the location of the murder to Brooklyn. Guillebeaux was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant remanded both defendants, with a court return date set for July 31. If convicted, Scott faces life in prison without parole, while Swygert could face up to 25 years.
This indictment adds to a series of legal challenges for Swygert, who has faced multiple charges in separate incidents, including another murder and attempted murder in 2021.
