Orville Pernell, who is wanted for the murder of Cleus Alfred in St. Lucia, has been apprehended by American agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Purnell, who has been wanted by the St. Lucia police since 2020, escaped police custody twice. The 32-year-old was arrested for Alfred’s murder in St. Lucia but cut the steel bars of his cell and escaped to Jamaica.
He was later taken into police custody in Jamaica. However, Purnell once again escaped, walking out of the police station where he was being held. Reports state that disciplinary action was taken against the police officers connected to the incident.
In a report shared on ICE’s website this week, the agency disclosed that Purnell was apprehended on April 4 in Savannah, Georgia, after an extensive investigation and a manhunt. The report suggests that Purnell’s first brush with the law in America happened in 2022 when Border Patrol agents encountered him in California after he attempted to enter the country using a fake identity.
He was paroled into the country and given a “notice to appear”. Purnell was later arrested in Clayton County, Georgia, in 2023 for the possession of a stolen motorcycle and attempting to evade arrest.
A 9mm handgun was discovered during his arrest. The Jamaican is now facing charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a weapon.
Purnell will stand trial for murder in St. Lucia after he is extradited to the country.
