Monrovia –Three of the Co-defendants in the allege Murder case involving defendant Jonathan William have been set free from all charges.
By Massa Kanneh, masskanneh4@gmail.com
Ceasar Kennedy, Massa Kennedy and Juana Bracewell were set free to serve as state witnesses for Prosecution in the case.
According to Prosecuting Attorneys the submission to dismissed charges against the three is in consonance with 18.1 of the Criminal Procedure law of Liberia.
Jonathan Williams, the main suspect, is the only one among five to face prosecution in the murder case of photojournalist Tyron Browne of Super FM.
At Criminal Court ‘A’ on Wednesday, August 15, Williams pleaded with the court for three weeks to hire a legal team to represent him.
“Your honor currently I don’t have a lawyer but my family is assisting me to secure one. We are now in the final stage of the negotiation and I plead with your honor that within three weeks I will have secured and negotiated with the lawyer, who shall also review the case file.”
This request by Williams was followed by an enquiry made by the public defenders to the court in order to ascertain who was representing him since their (public defenders) clients were no more indicted by state prosecutors.
Williams’ respond to this enquiry was a plead for three weeks to hire a private lawyer.
The Resident Circuit Judge of Criminal Court ‘A,’ Roosevelt Willie, granted Williams’ request but reduced the weeks to two.
Wednesday was the first appearance of the main suspect and three others — Massa Kennedy, Bill Caesar Kennedy and Juana Bracewell — of the six suspects indicted.
Prior to Williams’ request to get a lawyer, state prosecutor made a submission to drop charges against defendants Bill Caesar Kennedy, Massa Kennedy and Juana Bracewell to testify for and on behalf of the state.
The state believes that their testimonies will be germane in convicting the main suspect for the willful murder of journalist Brown.
“The Republic of Liberia says that this decision or action is within the confine of the laws of Liberia and in support of the promotion of substantial justice,” the prosecutors said.
The defense didn’t pose an objection to the state’s submission on grounds that their request is consistent with the Criminal Procedure law Section 18.1.
This section states, “The prosecuting attorney may by leave of court file a dismissal of an indictment or complaint or of a count contained therein as to either all or some of the defendants. The prosecution shall thereupon terminate to the extent indicated in the dismissal.”
Though Edwina and Alice Youti are indicted for hindering law enforcement in the commission of the crime of murder, they were not among the defendants that appeared in court.
But the lawyer representing Alice and Edwina, Atty. Jonathan Massaquoi, has been ordered to produce the two or be held in contempt.
Ernest Kermue is the only defendant who is still on the run according to the Liberia National Police.
The case is scheduled to resume on Wednesday, August 29, where Williams is to present the case file to his lawyer, who will represent him.
Suspects Williams and Caesar are indicted with murder; Alice Youti, Joana Bracewell, Edwina Youti all indicted with hindering law enforcement and Ernest Kermue indicted with criminal facilitation to commit murder and hindering law enforcement.
The indictment states that Williams and Kennedy knowingly committed the crime murder and concealed the act from state investigators.
Only Williams is at the Monrovia Central Prison while the Youtis are out on bail as the Kennedys and Bracewell will serve as state witnesses.
Bill Caesar Kennedy early Wednesday appeared with his orange prison jumpsuit guarded police and correction officers. He was later removed from open court.
Though Bracewell and Massa were on the defendant’s bench, they were also removed from there.
The indictment said the deceased, Browne, appeared in a Kingdom Care Community compound owned by Dr. Jerret where defendant Williams was occupying along with his two nieces (Edwina Promise Yuoti and Alice Youti) where the deceased went to visit Edwina and there where he was attacked by defendant Williams, who stabbed the deceased with a knife twice in the left ribs and one time on the side of the upper back instantly to his death.
“That after dumping the body when they returned to their house, defendant William along with defendant Kennedy ordered that they burn the plastic which he took from his vehicle that they used to wrapped the body in and so they put it on top of defendant Williams’ septic tank and he Williams put fuel on it and light it with a match and had it burnt.”
The indictment further said that the late Browne was a friend to Edwina and that he had visited her at her house the (crime scene) several times both day and night prior to the incident and that he Browne was not having on his person any weapon during his encounter with defendant Williams.
“That during police forensic investigation/examination conducted externally and internally on the white infinity vehicle that was used by defendant Williams to dump the body of Tyron after killing him, blood stains were collected and proven to be human blood.”
The indictment said the action by both Williams and Kennedy was to discard evidence of the crime they committed in order to avoid it from being discovered by state security.
“And finally, they did not report themselves to the Liberia National Police till the arrest on April 20, 2018, five days later, after the crime through the aid of former Director of Police Cllr. Chris Massaquoi.
The deceased body was pronounced dead by doctors at the Benson Hospital on April 16, 2018.
The indictment said the deceased was dumped along the Kingdom Care Road and subsequently that night the white infinity vehicle was washed on defendant Williams’ instruction so as to discard the evidence.
The indictment further said that after dumping the body, Williams and his accomplices, returned to the house at which time he ordered the burning of the plastic in which the corpse was wrapped.
The investigation also established that though Williams said he stabbed the deceased in self-defense, the deceased had no weapon on him during his encounter with Williams.
According to police investigators, they found bloodstains believed to be human blood in an Infiniti QX4 vehicle that belongs to Williams.
Co-defendants Juana, Alice, Edwina, and Massa, according to the indictment concealed information about the murder of the late Liberian journalist.
The indictment says the actions by defendant Williams was premeditated as he came out of his room with a knife and following the murder he criminally transported and dumped the deceased body.
Meanwhile, former Police Inspector General Chris Massaquoi has been exonerated from the murder case.
