Escapee Uree Varswyck shot dead

Sep 02, 2017 News

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…in hideout near Amelia’s Ward Police outpost

– Bartica Massacre killer slips cordon

The long manhunt for prison escapee Uree Varswyck ended just before midnight on Thursday, when he was shot and killed during a gun battle with armed forces at an Amelia’s Ward, Linden premises – a shack located just 15 houses from the Linden Police Outpost.
But Bartica massacre killer, Royden Williams, called “Smallie,” who was at the same shack, managed to escape, and was still at large at press time.
Dressed in camouflage vest and a pair of military boots, Varswyck, a former Tactical Services Unit Trainer, engaged the joint forces in a shootout which ended in his death.
Varswyck had reportedly vowed never to be taken alive.
The other escapee, Royden Williams, escaped on foot, but Acting Divisional Commander, Anthony Vanderhyden expressed confidence last night that he would be captured soon.
Vanderhyden said that the joint forces received information that the two Camp Street Prison escapees were hiding out at Lot 5118 Amelia’s Ward and as such, they responded.
Vanderhyden said that when the ranks arrived at the scene, the fugitives immediately started shooting at them, causing the joint services ranks to return fire killing the 28-year-old Varswyck, a father of five.
A 9mm pistol, 40 live rounds, a haversack, a cloth bag containing medication, a gas mask, military camouflage clothing, toiletries and a cellular phone along with food items were found in the shack in which the suspects were being harboured.
An ex-policeman and the owner of the property were arrested for harbouring the two high profile criminals. At press time, they were being questioned.
Varswyck and Williams were among eight inmates who broke out of the Camp Street prison on July 09, last, after recruiting other prisoners to start a fire at several sections of the compound to serve as a distraction.
During their escape bid, Varswyck shot and killed prison officer, Odinga Wickham. The ex-cop was considered to be the most dangerous of the escapees, for whom a $10M reward was posted.
A senior police official said that the escapees had been at the Amelia’s Ward location for less than a week. Residents, though, said they had no clue that they had two dangerous fugitives in their presence.
As news of Varswyck’s death spread across Linden, many expressed disbelief that two high profile criminals were staying right under their noses.
When this newspaper visited the scene, one resident commented, “Hats off to the Linden police. They did a great job. These guys are too presumptuous. Imagine, they hiding out so close to a police outpost, right under the police nose!”
The community seemed devoid of life, as most persons were locked in their homes—scared of convicted killer, Royden Williams, being close-by.
The shack where the two suspects were hiding out was locked, with a bicycle seen braced on one side of the building.
It was the sound of heavy gunfire at around 23. 45 hrs on Thursday, that alerted residents to the drama in their community.
“I was working last night just after eleven I think, when I heard these gun shots, and I counted like eleven in the first burst then I heard other shots, but they sounded different, like they weren’t coming from the same weapon, so it seemed like there was a gun battle, and I thought to myself I hope no innocent person gets caught in the line of fire.”
He added that at the same time, he was considering his fastest escape route in the event of the gunshots getting closer.
Another resident revealed that, “All I hear was rat-ta tat-tat…. rat-ta tat-tat. You would think was a war zone. I dive under the bed for cover!”
“I was awake when I hear these sudden gunshots and right away I said to myself that is a confrontation between the police and bandits, because was a lot of gunshots, a woman who lives in the opposite direction from where the shooting took place recounted.
The woman said that she didn’t sleep for the rest of the night, but made contact with a relative early yesterday morning. It was then that she learnt that police had killed one of the prison escapees.
Varswyck, an ex-policeman was charged for the December 2014 murder of Sterling Products Limited security guard, Wilfred Stewart and the execution-style killing of GGMC engineer, Trevor Abrams in 2015. Stewart was ambushed and gunned down in broad daylight while driving along the East Bank of Demerara.
Varswyck, Williams, Stafrei Alexander Hopkinson and Desmond James broke out of the camp Street Prison together on July 9, after inmates set fire to the prison to distract the authorities.
The four fugitives then abducted a taxi driver, who they later freed after forcing him to accompany them to the Annandale, East Coast Demerara backlands.
Hopkinson was later nabbed in Topoo, a village nestled between Hampshire and Albion in East Berbice, Corentyne on July 29, last, while James was caught hiding in an abandoned shack at Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara (WBD) on July 14, last.
Another Camp Street escapee Cobena Stephens also known as OJ is still at large.
Additionally, on July, 24, last, 13 prisoners crawled to freedom through a tunnel they had dug in a latrine in the Lusignan holding facility.
Eleven of the inmates have since been caught and placed back into the prison system while one has been shot dead.
Paul Goriah, who is still on the run, is among those escaped from the Lusignan Prison facility.
The Guyana Police Force has offered a $10M reward for information leading to the arrest of the escapees.
Anyone with information that may lead to the recapture of Royden Williams, Cobena Stephens and Paul Goriah is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-8196, 225-2227, 226-1389, 227-2128, 227-1149, 226-7065, 699-0869, 600-3019, 699-0867, 669-4606, 603-3261 or the nearest Police Station.

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