£5,000 added to reward in police hunt for murderer who fled mental health unit

 
Arrested: Lerone Boye, 27, had been on the run for almost 100 days
28 November 2013
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Detectives hunting a convicted murderer who escaped from a mental health unit have increased the sum of a reward to trace him amid fears he is being sheltered by gang members in east London.

Lerone Boye, 27, has been on the run for a month after he fled from the John Howard Centre in Kenworthy Road in Homerton, east London in October.

The killer was one of four men jailed in December last year for the murder of of 17-year-old Kelvin Chibueze. The teenager was stabbed to death with a broken champagne bottle at a birthday party in Ilford in August 2011.

Detectives say they believe Boye may be hiding in east London where he is known to have links to gang members.

Scotland Yard has already offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and Crimestoppers have boosted the sum by £5,000 if people provide information by their crime reporting number 0800 555 1111.

Detective Inspector Judy Willats said : “We hope that this appeal will test people’s loyalty because we strongly suspect that someone knows where he is.

“We believe he is part of a crime network that is still active in east London and he is receiving help to evade custody, either financial help or a physical place to stay.”

Boye is known to have links to Barking, Newham and Ilford.

On his conviction at the Old Bailey a judge condemned the “endemic state” of knife crime among youths and described the four guilty men as “morally bankrupt” thugs.

Boye is as a slim, black man who is 5ft 10ins tall. He has a distinctive horseshoe shape scar on his right cheek and a gold tooth in his upper row of teeth.

He was wearing a grey/blue sweatshirt with a grey vest over the top when he was last seen. He was also wearing grey jogging bottoms. He had short hair and a goatee beard but police say he may have changed his appearance since his escape.

People are advised not to approach Boye but to call 999 or call the Crimestoppers number.

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