While Georgetown Prison officials remain tight lipped on the escape of teenaged murder accused Eddie Williams, there are suspicions that he walked through the front gates of the facility during a heavy shower on Monday morning, managing to elude the eyes of a prison warder manning a nearby tower.
Up to press time last evening, no wanted bulletin had been issued for the 18-year-old, who is accused of stabbing a man 14 times during a heated row. When contacted yesterday, Director of Prisons Dale Erskine said that a press release on the incident was being prepared. However, up to late yesterday afternoon, no statement was forthcoming to the media.
Erskine, when asked if any of the warders was under close arrest, said that the authorities were “investigating the matter and where ever the chips fall, whoever is responsible will be dealt with.” This newspaper has since learnt from a source that the warder who was manning the watchtower at the time of the escape is under close arrest.
Stabroek News was unable to get a comment from police officials.
A source close to the prison said yesterday that Williams must have walked through the gates when rain was falling, sometime between seven and eight that morning. The source said that it was baffling that the prisoner was not seen by the warder in the watchtower located a short distance away as he should have had a clear view. It was explained that there are four towers in the prison compound but one is not being used. During the daytime, this newspaper was told, someone is always watching from one of the towers.
The source said that there was talk that Williams jumped over the fence but he noted that it would be almost impossible, given the height of fences and the barbwire at the top. The source noted that a prisoner who previously attempted to escape via this route was badly injured and was caught before he could get very far.
Stabroek News was told that Williams worked in the prison kitchen. The source confirmed this and said that no background check was done on Williams and up until the point of his escape no one knew that he was a murder accused. The source explained that prisoners were asked who wanted to work in the kitchen and Williams was among those who volunteered. Asked how officials could not have known that Williams was a murder accused, the source blamed it on the shortage of staff at the prisons. He explained that because of this situation, many standard procedures are not being followed.
The source said that on any given shift, which lasts 12 hours, there should be at least 10 prison wardens manning the prison, which has eight divisions. He said that currently there are about six persons on each shift. He also said that the prison wardens operate under very high levels of stress.
Williams, of 37 Back Street, Ruimzeight, West Coast Demerara, is accused of stabbing Jermaine Jones to death on November 30 last year. Williams lived in the same house with Jones’ girlfriend, who is his aunt. According to reports, Jones went to the house and he later accused the teen of stealing a cellular phone and money. Jones reportedly beat the teenager with a baseball bat and managed to relieve him of two knives. The argument later continued and it was reported that Williams was seen repeatedly stabbing Jones. The youth later fled in bloodied clothing, clutching the murder weapon and a plastic bag.
After being on the run for more than two months, Williams was caught and he was arraigned on the capital charge at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrates’ Court on February 9. He was remanded to prison by Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin.
