More than three years after he was “accidentally” released from prison while awaiting trial for murder, Alvin Reid, known as ‘Satan,’ was recaptured on Wednesday.
Director of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Corporate Communications Unit, Mark Ramotar yesterday confirmed that Reid was recaptured in Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) around 20.00hrs by ranks from the Clonbrook Police Outpost along with members of the Community Policing Group.
He added that two police constables were also injured during the arrest. They were both taken to the Mahaicony Hospital for medical treatment.
At the time of his arrest, Ramotar said Reid had wounds to his abdomen and a suspected gunshot wound to his back. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where he remained a patient under police guard up to press time.
Reid, of Nimrod Street, Ann’s Grove, ECD was accused of killing 14-year-old Malika Hamilton between August 8 and August 9, 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 8, 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 9.
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 2018 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.
In July 2019, the GPF had issued a wanted bulletin for Reid in relation to the murder of Hamilton.
The then Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels had confirmed that Reid was mistakenly released.
Samuels had 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 had said that more than likely, the rank or ranks, depending on the conclusion of the Board of Inquiry, will be charged for neglect. He had indicated that there seems to be no indication of collusion at this time and expressed the view that the release was due to neglect.
Samuels had said that a Board of Inquiry was conducted and had promised to issue the findings at a later time. The findings were never released.
Reid is likely to face additional charges. Police yesterday said following his release, he was wanted for a number of offences including discharging a loaded firearm and larceny of cattle.
