One month after the Director of Public Prosecutions instructed that the murder case against cricketer Carlyle Barton continue, the Guyana Police Force on Thursday admitted that it cannot locate the suspect.

Barton was caught on tape shooting Durban Street resident Shawn Nelson to the head in the Orange Walk area in May, 2013. He was charged for murder and placed before the courts. However, when police and other witnesses were a continuous “no-show” in court, the Magistrate threw the matter out for lack of evidence.

The Police witnesses were expected in court to enter the video recording of the shooting into evidence. They never appeared. Barton was set free in November, and one month later, the DPP instructed that he be rearrested and the preliminary inquiry into the caught on tape murder continue.

Crime Chief and Deputy Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud when questioned by News Source last Thursday said several checks were made to locate the young man since the DPP instructions were handed down. According to Persaud, all of those checks came up empty-handed and the Police Force does not know whether the man left the country.

Asked about immigration records since the Immigration Department falls under the Guyana Police Force, the Crime Chief said some checks were made but there are still checks to be carried out. He said the Police Force is also paying attention to several other cases at this time.

It is believed that the murder suspect left the country just after his initial case was thrown out. The family of the dead man have said they want justice.

The Guyana Police Force has come under fire for bungling the entire investigation although video evidence exists of the shooting incident which clearly identifies the shooter.

There is the concern that inducements may have been offered to some of the witnesses, causing them not to show up in court and offer evidence in the matter. Still many legal minds have said that the presence of clear video evidence identifying the shooter and showing the entire incident should have been enough for the Police prosecuting team to carry out proper representation in the matter.

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