Residents of Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara say they saw wanted man Neil Bovell at the home of a relative in the area on Monday.

This is where wanted man Neil Bovell was said to be hiding before residents chopped down the bushes to expose his hideout (Ken Moore photo)

As a consequence many of the village’s women continue to live in fear and are calling on the police to hurry up and catch the man.

Scores of them have moved out of their homes and those who were still in the village are leaving during the nights.

Bovell has been on the run for more than a month.

He is being sought in connection with the murder of his reputed wife, Phillipa Harrison, during a domestic dispute a month ago, the rape of a young woman in Stanleytown a few days later and the October 3 murder of Vernon Bernard along with the torching of his Stanley-town home. He also abducted Bernard’s 22-year-old daughter Velda Bernard, who escaped from him after three days of being held captive.

Despite an intensified police search by ranks at Wales Police Station Bovell has not been picked up.

Stabroek News visited Stanleytown on Sunday and was told that the fugitive was seen on Tuesday of last week trying to enter a house located at Lot 120 Stanleytown, a few houses away from where Bernard had lived. Upon another visit yesterday this newspaper was told that Bovell was seen again on Monday in the company of a relative from the area.

Residents yesterday guided this newspaper through some dense bushes to an abandoned tent where Bovell was said to have been hiding. They said since some of the bushes were cleared on Sunday the tent had been uncovered. According to one resident, now that the tent has been exposed Bovell has shifted his camp deeper into the thicket.

Up to yesterday they were adamant that he was still in the area and would remain there because the police were not going after him.

Contacted yesterday, a senior police officer told this newspaper that the force had been maintaining a regular patrol in the area.

A young woman told this newspaper that ever since the abduction of Bernard she had not been sleeping at her home in the nights.

“Every night as soon as 5:30 meet, I gan to George-town.”

The woman said she could not risk staying in the village in the nights when it was clear he was after women. She said two other relatives have taken similar measures and some residents have been locking their doors earlier than usual.

The young woman lamented the lack of young men in the area.

“Right now we the women carrying this village. There are a few men but dem old and fearful too.”

Stabroek News was told several persons in the area have been threatened by Bovell already and some were initially forced to provide him with meals since he had threatened to kill them.

Also, they showed this newspaper some six houses that were abandoned. The houses, which are all in close proximity to where Bovell had been living, were all tightly locked yesterday. Bushes around some of the houses were also cleared since residents believe that Bovell might be using those as shelter.