Police confirm prison escapee Royden “Smallie” Williams, Odel Roberts shot dead

Last Updated on Thursday, 1 June 2023, 18:50 by Denis Chabrol

Death-row mass murder convict, Royden ‘Smallie’ Williams and his accomplice, Odel “Gully” Roberts” were shot dead in Bartica, police said.

Head of the  the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department , Assistant Commissioner Wendell Blanhum said they were shot dead during a confrontation with members of the Joint Services at 33 Miles Bartica.

Earlier Thursday, police had confirmed that one man was shot dead and a rifle was found in his possession.

Williams and Roberts were killed four days after one of Williams’ accomplices was shot and killed. Police alleged that the man was shot dead after he snatched a policeman’s gun, cranked and pointed the weapon at the Joint Services team that intercepted him.

Police and the prison service had said that Williams escaped in a boat during a shootout between several men in a boat and prison guards. At the time he was being taken back to his cell on All Terrain Vehicle after a Venezuelan woman had just visited him.

She, a businessman and several prison guards have all been charged with facilitating Williams’ escape.

Police said that on May 19, 2023, they conspired with other persons unknown to assist Royden Williams also known as Mark Williams and Royden Durant called “Smallie” in escaping from lawful custody under sentence of death.

Williams was sentenced to death for the murder of eight persons during the Bartica massacre in 2018. He was also found guilty for the murder of a Guyana Defence Force soldier