BoI into accidental release of “Satan” completed

– once apprehended, he will go straight to
prison – Prisons’ Director

The Board of Inquiry (BoI) into the accidental release from prison of murder accused Alvin Reid, the 35-year-old who is also called “Satan”, has been completed, and its findings will soon be made public.

This is according to Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, who told Guyana Times on Saturday that, having been tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the unauthorised release of that prisoner, the BoI would determine the outcome for ranks who had been on duty and had handled the matter at that time.
“Satan”, however, remains on the run as law enforcement officials continue to comb villages in search of him. A wanted bulletin was last week issued for his arrest, but the Police have made no progress in apprehending him.
Samuels noted that when ‘Satan’ has been recaptured, he will face no additional charges for the blunder that led to his release.
“The thing is: if he is rearrested at any point, it is just for him to be brought straight to the prison, since there is a valid warrant for his imprisonment. So it is not a situation where he has to be taken before the court and all of that. Also, the BoI is finished, but I still have to go through it and prepare a report to send out.”
This blunder of the ranks is said to have occurred because the murder accused had also been on remand for a lesser offence, on which he was freed. It was upon conclusion of the interviewing process pending release for the lesser offence that the rank released “Satan”, being unaware of the information regarding the murder charge against the man. By the time the rank was finally provided with that crucial bit of information, the murder accused was long gone.
“Satan” was, in September 2018, committed to stand trial for the murder of 14-year-old Malika Hamilton, whose body was fished out of the Hope Canal, East Coast Demerara, on August 12, 2016.
It is alleged that she was reported missing after going for a swim with the accused and another male.
Police arrested “Satan” a few days after Hamilton’s body had been found, having found him hiding in a barrel at a relative’s house. He was subsequently charged and remanded. The unrepresented accused had alleged that Police ranks had beaten him to say things that he did not know about.
A Magistrate subsequently threw the matter out, after ruling that Police had not made out a case against “Satan”. The Police subsequently filed an appeal, and in September 2018, Satan was rearrested. This time around, police had provided further evidence against him.
Magistrate Peter Hugh had ruled that sufficient evidence was provided for “Satan” to stand trial.