Seven escapees recaptured

Georgetown: Seven of the 13 prisoners, who escaped from the swampy area of the Lusignan Prison, were Monday evening recaptured, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed.
The other six Lusignan escapees who are still on the run are: Shawn Harris, Paul Goriah, Clive Forde, Kerry Cromwell, Pascal Smith, and Kendell Skeete. The four Georgetown Prison escapees who are still on the run are: Stafrei Alexander, Cobena Stephens aka “OJ”, Mark Royden Williams and Uree Varswyk.

Early Monday morning, during their routine head-count, authorities discovered that 13 prisoners had escaped. Prisoners were transferred to the pasture-like compound after a July 9 fire destroyed more than 70 of the Georgetown Prison where they were being held.

Most of the prisoners were then sent to the prisons at Timehri, New Amsterdam, Mazaruni and at Lusignan which is next to the holding facility. However, ninety-nine high-profile criminals remained in the compound since they were to be transferred back to the Georgetown Prison later on Monday.

But on that morning, the prisoners had other plans. Thirteen men dug their way out of the compound, bumping the total number of escapees up to 17.

After it was discovered that the 13 men had escaped on Monday, an emergency meeting was convened by the National Security Committee to devise a plan.

Later that evening, Assistance Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine confirmed that seven (of the thirteen that escaped on Monday had been recaptured. Those persons are: Odel Roberts, Jamal Forde, Rayon Jones, Winston Long, Teshawn McKenzie, Jason Howard and Jamal Joseph.

According to the police, three of the prisoners were recaptured at Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) while two were recaptured at Stabroek Market in Georgetown.

The three who were nabbed on the East Coast are: Odel Roberts, Jamal Forde, and Rayon Jones. The two who were captured at Stabroek are Winston Long and Teshawn McKenzie. It is not clear where Jason Howard and Jamal Joseph were recaptured.