But Nearly Four Months After the Autopsy Was Done By Dr. Benedict Kolee and No Report Yet Released, Liberia National Police Formerly Arrests Former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott and Three Others; Charges Them with “Murder, Criminal Conspiracy and False Testimony to Law Enforcement Officers.”
-As Cllr. Scott’s Legal Team Files Writ of Habeas Corpus for Her and Others’ Release, Citing “Conduct of Defendants” for Their Request
IPNEWS – Today, June 21st, makes it four consecutive months since the Liberian Government lead Pathologist, Dr. Benedict Kolee told journalists that the formal autopsy report covering the death of Ms. Charloe Musu, would have been released in two weeks.
On March 21st, 2023, Pathologist Kolee addressed the press after he had led a team of medical practitioners, who had conducted an autopsy on the remains of Ms. Musu. He had disclosed that the damsel had died as a result of excessive bleeding.
He had stated that the exercise was held in the presence of about 20 persons, including two family members, human rights groups, and civil society organizations, among others. Kolee said he was releasing what he called “a provisional cause of death for Charloe Musu,” but a final determination would be made after a scientific examination of the body is done. He disclosed that the final results will be ready in two weeks.
According to him, the late Musu died as a result of excessive blood loss from a ruptured left or right artery that caused massive hemorrhage, which went on to suppress her left lung from functioning properly.
“She lost so much blood on the inside and outside after a piercing below her left rib, which cut one of the arteries that made blood flow in the chest, leading to the collapse of her left lung,” pathologist Kulee told journalists.
This “two weeks”, which should have been on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, is yet to arrive, shockingly.
Nevertheless, after exactly four months today, without any autopsy report covering the death of Charloe, the Liberian National Police (LNP) formerly effected an arrest of former Chief Justice Gloria M. Musu-Scott and three members of her household, including Ma Rebecca Youdeh Wisner, Gertrude Newton and Alice Johnson alias “AC”.
Dr. Rockefeller F. Cooper, II
When Dr. Kolee released of his “provisional cause of death for Charloe Musu”, Dr. (MD) Rockefeller F. Cooper, II, a Liberian Forensic Medicolegal Death Investigator (FMDI) with vast experience in Forensic Postmortem Examinations (FPE), commonly referred to as autopsies, on Monday, March 27, dug several holes in his colleague’s “provisional” findings.
In his piece, “An Analysis of the Charloe Musu’s Autopsy Preliminary Finding Part I-Another Blind Walk into the Wilderness”, Dr. Cooper said, “I would like to raise a series of ‘red flags’ which clearly supports the fact that the autopsy performed is bound to present an array of doubts and a misrepresentation of the crime, so much so that a ‘reasonable fact finder’ would deem the final report of this case as highly nonsensical.”
Digging further into Dr. Kolee’s preliminary autopsy findings, Dr. Cooper said, “As a result of this autopsy, like others performed in the past by the same Dr. Kolee whose ability to conduct ‘forensic’ autopsies is highly questionable, can we argue the expectancy of another botched result based on his focus on the ‘particular’ and ‘fatal’ stab wound which led to the death of Ms. Charloe Musu, an act which was judgmental and bias? Additionally, the preliminary autopsy report which has basically concluded the cause of death, has the propensity to suppress the outcome of ‘true justice’ as the investigation in its totality stands a chance of being derailed.”
He emphasized: “Given my experience in investigating complex death cases as a Forensic Scientist and a fellow medical doctor (MD) as Dr. Kolee, it must be stated that he has once again prematurely misled the Liberian public; irrespective of his proclamation that his autopsy finding was a ‘so-called’ preliminary finding, as he awaits the arrival of other scientific facts from specimens sent out of the country to present a final report.”
Police Intervention
While the nation waited in vain, so it seems now for the autopsy report, there were reports of several attempts by the LNP to take Cllr. Scott and others in but that serious internal wrangling among hierarchies of the LNP and the Ministry of Justice, which controls the police, couldn’t find a common ground on this matter.
But on Tuesday, June 20, the LNP headquarters became a no-go zone for most people as the police had invited the former Chief Justice and others so that they can effect an arrest.
Early on Tuesday morning, close associates of the former Chief Justice had informed IPNEWS that Police in Monrovia had formally charged and were working on modalities to send her and three family members to court on the charges of Murder, Criminal Conspiracy, and False Testimony to Law Enforcement officers.
This newspaper was informed that at the Liberia National Police headquarters, the former Chief Justice was handed an arrest warrant and charged with the crimes of Murder, Criminal Conspiracy, and False Testimony to Law Enforcement officers, in the case involving the killing of Charloe Musu, who was reportedly stabbed multiple times with a sharp instrument, sometime in March this year.
IPNEWS reached out to other sources within the LNP to verify the speculation that the Cllr. Scott was about to be charged and arrested. Those other sources downplayed the speculations, and it did turn out to be true.
Gloria Scott, Others Spent Night in Police Cell?
Police sources also told this newspaper that the former Chief Justice and the other three ladies were going to spend their first night in a police withholding cell following charges for Murder, Criminal Conspiracy, and False Testimony to Law Enforcement officers.
Our sources had, however, stated that there was intense lobby ongoing behind the scenes to have the former Chief Justice turnover to her lawyers and brought back today, Wednesday, June 21, at 9:00 A.M.
However, Police Spokesman H. Moses Carter had told IPNEWS that they were still investigating and had not made public notice of purported charges in the media.
Carter further said that as part of the ongoing investigation, they will announce shortly the final decision by the government of Liberia in the case involving the former chief Justice.
GLORIA’S LEGAL TEAM ACTION
It seems all the actions were not only centered at the LNP headquarters on Tuesday. The legal team of the former Chief Justice may be saw a loophole in the process and try to capitalize on it.
At precisely 15:15 GMT, they filed a petition for a Writ of Hebeas Corpus for the release of their clients.
In their seven-count petition to Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Blamo Dixon, they said among other things, “That on February 22, 2023, during the early night hours, Petitioners’ home situated in Virginia was intruded by unknown persons who attacked petitioner and member of the household resulting to the deaths of Charloe Musu.
That following the incident, Co-Petitioner, Cllr. Gloria M. Musu-Scott reported the matter to the police on duty at Brewerville, but before this incident, two separate attacks were made at the Petitioners’ home, which were also reported to the Police.
That following the above-mentioned incidents, the police commenced an investigation with the petitioners since February 23, 2023 and petitioners have since been cooperating with the police investigation. And that during this investigation, the petitioners that reported the case wer3e under pressure and treated as if they were the culprits. That on today, Tuesday, June 20, 2023, petitioners were by way of telephone called to appear and upon appearance, the petitioners were arrested and detained in the presence of their counsels without formal charge.”
According to Cllr. Scott’s legal team, this conduct on the part of the defendants is sufficient to trigger a Writ of Habeas Corpus. So, they were praying the court to pruduce the living bodies of Cllr. Scott, Ma Rebecca Youdeh Wisner, Gertrude Newton and Alice Johnson, who had been held without charge by the LNP.
Background
It can recalled the home of former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott was allegedly attacked on three separate occasions by unknown assailant (s) for reasons that have never been established by the Liberia National Police (LNP) and other law enforcement agencies.
On the first and second attacks, Justice Scott alarmed and reported to the LNP and the Ministry of Justice that her home was attacked on two separate occasions, but no items were stolen. The police later admitted to the former Chief Justice’s assertion following public pressure and they had instituted an investigation before the third attack took place that led to the alleged murder of Justice Scott’s niece/daughter, Charloe Musu. There are reports that she was stabbed multiple times by the mystery attacker.
