Killer at large

Up to press time last night, the search for murder convict Darryl Bissoon was continuing. Police reported that at about 7.15 pm on Sunday, Bissoon was last seen by Prisons Officer Rollins during a routine patrol of the Port-of-Spain prisons compound. However, some time after 1 am yesterday, on yet another patrol, it was discovered that Rollins was no longer in his cell.

A search was immediately launched of the prisons but the convict was nowhere to be seen. The prison was placed on lockdown and the police called in.

There are unconfirmed reports that during the search at 1 am, two other prisoners were not in their cells, but were later discovered moments later in another part of the compound of the Frederick Street prison.

Police are considering the escaped prisoner to be armed and “dangerous” and are asking members of the public who encounter Bissoon or see him or know of his whereabouts to contact them immediately.

Bissoon’s last known address was at his mother’s home along First Street, San Juan.

He is 26 years old and has a brown complexion. He is 5’8” tall, and weighs an estimated 120 pounds. He has a slim build, has dark brown eyes, and a low haircut.

He has large scars on his right and left shoulders, and a small scar on the side of his left eye. He also has scars on his left upper arm, right knee, and right upper back.

Bissoon was one of two men who was convicted earlier this year for the murder of 24-year-old construction worker Collin Delandro in 2005. Anderson Mapp was also convicted of the murder, and the duo was sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Carla Brown-Antoine.

The third person who was charged for the murder, Ryan Stephen, will face a retrial. Delandro was killed on May 27, 2005, at Quarry Road, San Juan. He was shot eight times, including four times in the head. He died about a week later at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mt Hope.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Commissioner of Prisons Martin Martinez described the convicted killer’s escape as “very troubling” and noted that an investigation has been launched into how exactly Bissoon escaped.

“As Commissioner of Prisons I am never comfortable with escapes, especially when we have escapes of this nature — with the escapee being a murder convict. I view these very seriously, as it is an action which severely undermines the security and well-being of the prison environment, and as a result, I can assure you that the issue will be looked into very, very closely,” a grave sounding Martinez said.

He revealed that he had appointed Senior Superintendent Fyz Khan to spearhead investigations into the escape, and he assured Newsday, that “decisive actions” would be taken if any person or group of persons were found culpable.

“Let me assure you right now, that certain decisions and changes will come into effect based on the report that I get from Senior Superintendent Khan. I am not prepared to go into any details to that effect right now, and all I am prepared to say on the investigation, is that currently (yesterday afternoon) statements are being taken, and officers are being interviewed. But beyond that, I will simply say I am awaiting Mr Khan’s report,” Martinez said.

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