The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has released murder accused Alvin Reid, known as ‘Satan,’ by mistake and the police are now seeking the public’s assistance to recapture him.
The Guyana Police Force on Thursday issued a wanted bulletin for Reid, and said that he is wanted for the murder of Malika Hamilton, which occurred in August, 2016, at Hope Canal, East Coast Demerara.
Persons with information that may lead to the re-arrest of the 35-year-old Reid are asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 229-2289, 229-3564, 229-2557, 221-1281, 274-0409, 27-1221, 229-2750, 229-2019, 225-3650, 226-1928, 911 or the nearest police station.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday, Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels confirmed that Reid was mistakenly released and said that he remains at large. The prisons chief said that a Board of Inquiry was conducted and he will be issuing the findings at a later time.
Samuels disclosed that Reid was ordered freed on a lesser charge and during the interview and processing, the rank conducting the interview was unaware that Reid was committed to stand trial for Hamilton’s murder. He said that the proper procedure was followed and only the omission of the information about the murder charge caused the rank to release Reid. By the time the information was received about the additional charge, Reid had already left the prison.
Samuels said that more than likely, the rank or ranks, depending on the conclusion of the Board of Inquiry, will be charged for neglect but at the moment, they are still at work. He added that there seems to be no indication of collusion at this time and expressed the view that the release was due to neglect.
Reid, of Nimrod Street, Ann’s Grove, was accused of killing 14-year-old Hamilton between August 8th and August 9th, 2016, at Hope.Police had said that Hamilton and Reid, who were known to each other, had gone for a swim in the Hope Canal on August 8th, which was the last day she was seen alive. Her body was later found floating in the canal, several miles away from the Hope Canal bridge by residents of the community who had ventured into the canal to swim on August 9th. A post-mortem examination revealed that she died from asphyxia due to drowning.
Hamilton, of Lot 11 Two Sisters Village, East Coast Demerara, had left home following an argument over the telephone with her father and did not return. Reid, who managed to elude the police after being identified as a suspect, was eventually found hiding in a barrel in the Ann’s Grove cemetery a week later.
While Reid was initially cleared of the charge in March last year due to insufficient evidence, following an appeal by the police in September of the same year, he was re-arrested and committed to stand trial.