Escaped murderer must be getting help: RCMP

The RCMP suspect that Gary Gormley, the P.E.I. man convicted of murder who escaped from a New Brunswick prison last Thursday, is getting some help.

Gormley, 39,was discovered to be missing from the minimum security Westmorland Institution in Dorchester, N.B., during the noon head count. RCMP Sgt Derek Strong said Monday that, after five days, somebody must be helping him hide. But he added police are also getting help from the public.

"We're still following up leads onthis case, you know. We don't intend to stop looking, that's for sure," said Strong.

"Every day we get tips from the general public and we follow them up as best we can. Clearly we haven't had any luck yet but at some point we will be able to recover this gentleman."

Strong said Gormley is probably hiding out in the Maritimes. Gormley had served 11 years of his life sentence for second-degree murder. He would have been eligible to apply for parole next year.

Gormley beat and strangled Clifford McIver in his Charlottetown apartment in March 1995. He was sentenced in August 1996 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 12 years.