Ex-cop still wanted over attempted murder allegations

The police are still looking for former policeman Shawn Fordyce, who is accused of brutally chopping his wife and her three daughters in a fit of rage on the night of August 1, 2013 in Sophia.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said that if the man’s present location were known he would be promptly arrested.

A week after the brutal attack on newspaper vendor Dorothy Blackman, her daughter Wanda Fortune

 Shawn Fordyce
Shawn Fordyce

and two other daughters (one of whom is Fordyce’s child) the police had issued a wanted bulletin for the man, but he has been on the run since. The bulletin said the man is wanted for questioning in connection with the attempted murder of Blackman and three of her daughters.

While Blackman has since publicly said that she will not be seeking prosecution of the man, Fortune and her other adult sister have indicated keen interest in seeing the man face justice.

Fortune had told this newspaper recently that the man is at a Berbice location as many of his relatives are from that area. She had bemoaned the fact that the man remains on the run even though he is seen in public in Berbice. She had stated that the man has several relatives in the armed forces and this might be one of the main reasons he has been able to evade justice. The young woman had said the man was sometimes seen in the presence of police officers in Berbice chatting and she questioned since the police had indicated publicly that he was wanted why he was not being arrested.

Some have suggested that the man could be charged and tried in his absence, but Crime Chief Persaud said while this could be done it comes with disadvanatges.

According to Persaud, issues would arise about legal identification and there being no opportunity for the police to interview the accused before laying charges. He pointed out that once the man is charged in his absence these cannot be done.

The police said anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Fordyce is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-6978, 229-2569, 229-2702, 229-2557, 911 or the nearest police station. His last known addresses are Lot 132 ‘D’ Field Sophia, East Coast Demerara and Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice.