Police PRO fears for escaped prisoner’s life; search ongoing
Dominica News Online - Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 3:29 PM
Recent photo of Steven Alphonse
The search for Steven Alphonse of Belles – a murder convict- who escaped the state penitentiary on January 27, 2010 is still ongoing, and police have urged the prisoner to turn himself in to prevent himself from potential harm against his victim’s family.
In a media briefing this morning Police Public Relations Officer Inspector Claude Weekes said that the assailant is at large and his whereabouts are unknown.
“All of us including the citizenry of the Commonwealth of Dominica we’ve got to be vigilant. I can’t tell you if Steven Alphonse, the escapee, is in Dominica or out of the jurisdiction, but what I can say is that we continue to be vigilant, we continue as well to work with our foreign partners with respect to recapturing Steven Alphonse,” Weekes said.
“I appeal to Mr. Alphonse wherever he is, whether he is in this jurisdiction or his family as well, who may be in contact with him, I would really strongly appeal to them and Mr Steven Alphonse as well to come back, to return to the prison. It may have been frustrating for him. He may have his reasons why he escaped, but I don’t think he should be a fugitive. In my opinion I fear for him,” the PRO stated.
In expressing the reasons for his fear, Weekes said there may be retributions or reprisals towards Alphonse coming from the victim’s family. “You do not know how the family of the victim are thinking and he puts himself at risk. He is very, very vulnerable, and even if he is an escapee, but we still have to protect him,” Weekes added.
According to him, though Alphonse is dangerous, he is still a human being under the constitution of Dominica and needs to be protected.
“…We too have to protect him and the only way to protect him is to recapture him and is to bring him back to the penal institution,” the police inspector said.
Alphonse was convicted for the brutal murder of a young girl in the early 1990’s, and was sentenced to be hanged, but later appealed the sentence and was commuted to jail for 40 years.
This is the third time that he has escaped the jurisdiction. The last time he was found in Guadeloupe and deported back here.
Police have deemed Alphonse armed and dangerous. “I don’t think we can take any chances,” Weekes said.
The PRO urged persons who may have information regarding the escapee’s whereabouts, including his family, to inform the authorities.
According to information from the police, Alphonse is five feet- five inches tall and is fair in complexion with a stumpy build. He has an oval face, thin eyebrows, a bulbous nose and round chin.
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34 Comments
WHEN EVEIL IS ON YOU AND U DONT HAVE FAITH IT IS STRONGER GIVE ALPHONSE A CHANCE HE IS A VICTIME AND HE PAID FOR THAT ALREADY
Wii are Alphonse and wii SCREAM it
HE WAS 21 YEARS OLD WHEN HE WENT IN JAIL HE IS 40 YEARS NOW GIVE HIM A CHANCE STEVEN IS A VICTIME
I would welcome retribution against this man,if I found him myself,I would save the Dominica tax payers the cost of feeding and clothing this woman killer!
These guys are sick they only vigilant on what they can profit on
Did i read this right? The police fear for the murderer’s life instead of the lives of people in the community?
Let justice prevail one way or the other. The police should tell them what to do to keep the society free of vermin like that escaped murderer who is coming to kill them.
Man my advise is to anybody who comes in contact with him chap his head off and bring it to weeks save some tax dollars. the man is a murder escapee armed and dangerous and you want his back just so he can escape again? get real weeks! why dont you take the green suit off and go look for him yourself. DEAD OR ALIVE
something is really wrong with the prison doors all u people need some nails to fix de doors. or the police themselves need changing cause too many prisoners escaping de prison now adays .well sa what else is going up at the prison. lazy police getting paid and cant do their job properly change them/ change all of them evrer so often a convicted murderer escape, come on DOMINICA. what else.
WELL IF THE PRISON DOOR NEED TO FIX, GET SOME CARPENTERS TO DO IT.
TOO MANY ESCAPING!
Check the family, they may know where he is
What the he’ll is wrong with Dominica?
It is becoming an international joke.
This man was seen by many in the the mountains countryside of Wesley, where his freinds were looking after him back in January.
It was common knowledge then & is now.
Doesn’t take Miss Marples or Columbo to work this one out!
Does Dominica really want a vigilante state where people have go do the job themselves cus the state are to studid or lazy to deal with it cus the just can’t or won’t.
What an shameful bit of news.
U see dominica police boy!!! Jah! Lazy lazy lazy… I hear people saying that this man is in the country side. And he is being assisted by people that he knows!!! This man is probably in another country by now! This young lady that he choped to her death god will deal with him
come on asp just say bring his body in for a lump sum nuh an the fear is over.
the police needs to engage the force and have the officers out in the bushes where the rumors are that the individual may be sported. the police in their right mind cannot expect such an experienced escapee to turn himself in, they need to get up on their butts, put on their damn boots and go up in the hights of wherever in the south it was last rumored that the guy is, and go and look for him, not just drive up to the area on all u nice vehicles and then back down. form damn groups of 5 and 6 and go in the bushes and look for the damn man not on the road, damn it now people cannot even sleep in there own home, is fright after fright, what the hell nah, if is marijuana all u going all up in the mountains to look for it. shit man now.
WHO FEEL IT NO IT ALL A MAN GOT TO DO WHAT A MAN GOT TO
So the sympathy is with the murderer not the victim huh. R u F-ing serious??!!
And how cud you imply that the victims family is out to get him?!
These pple are most probably scared and troubled by all this than anything else
So the murderer needs, well being and comfort comes before anything or anyone else?
Mr. Weekes, I am really disturbed by your statement
Some of these p[eople who talks about Ganga field seem to be missing the point. Folks get you all ship on course. Keep the bow steady.
Yes democracy is alive and well in Dominica and freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution, but Remember this man was not in Police custody when he escaped.
@ REALLY,
my sentiments exact, does the officer have credible information that the victim’s family is seeking to harm the escapee? And are they seeking to harm a man they dont even know the whereabouts of?
The blame is with the jail, that backward psycology about ” I know you are fraustrated ” well officer he is in jail, ofcourse he should be fraustrated, that is meant to be the deterant, not the reason for compounding your criminal act with another and causing panic and insecurity to the general public.
Yes he is a humanbeing, but he has placed himself in a position where people (not persons) need to protect themselves.
Let’s hope the end result is not what the police pro is saying.
All that manpower police using to go into the mountains looking for little ganja farms.Police in Dominica still working cases like they in the 60′s even the haitian police are doing better than they are.Shame Shame Shame on D/a police.
I agree with u Salop all the money they siezing in drugbust let them put up some of that money see how quick he’ll be back in jail.
FOUL HE IS A VICTIME HER MOTHER DID VOUDOO TO HIM !
THAT’S WHY PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS SAY IS DRUGS ALONE DOMINICA POLICE CARE ABOUT SO DAM LONG MISTER ON THE LOOSE………………POLICE WELL WANT SOME BODY TO KILL HIM DEEP DOWN IN DERE HEART SO THEY DONT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT AGAIN ……….BUT HEAR INSPECTOR WEEKES WE FEAR FOR HIS LIFE NOT LIE ALONE POLICE LYING
Salop. this is not snitching. This man has done a crime and should be face his time. You guys look at too much american telivision. Help protect innocent people who may come in contact with him.
That so true salop
People do not snitch for free no more..you wanna capture the man you put some money down for any information where the brother can be captured..what u think…and the police do not protect people who have help them in the past..this is why they are not trusted.when u help them your name all over place…
What is the basis for this constant attack on the victim’s family? It must be extremely difficult for them to know that this man is out, but you keep implying that they themselves are going to resort to criminal behaviour gives the impression that the authorities are more sympathetic to the escapee than to the victim.
This is the third time escaping from the prison? I wonder what kind of security that is up there.
And Police PRO fear for what may happen to him, and not what he may do?
Something is missing.
If the man is that dangerous, how does Inspector Weekes account for the man third escape?, come on now, the man is in prison for committing a murder, and has escape twice before, and he made it for the third time. It tells me something about our Prison system.
Are you serious? A convicted murderer’s safety is an issue for the police…
Put a Bonty on his head. $10,000 alive $20,000 Dead. He armed and Dangerous hmmmmmm he kill once he will kill again especialy if confronted by someone. Citizens are at risk and their life is more important than his right now. That guy seems desperate God knows what he will do.
DONT MESS WITH HIM KILL WHO ARE U JOCKING FELLA! DONT JUDGE NO MAN THE GIRL MOTHER THAT DID HIM EVIL IS SHE YOU ALL SHOULD KILL PRAY FOR HIM INSTEAD
The Police Inspector has almost said it all but what he did not say was that, the law really does not protect an escape prisoner. This can be interpreted to mean that if anything happens to him as an escape prisoner he has little or no leverage. Hence, in the interest of both parties, the victim’s family and the escapee, Mr Alphonse should be urged to do the just thing and turn himself to the property authorities where ever he may be.
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