By:Jackie Dennis: Trial Jurors at Criminal Court “A” on Thursday, December 21, 2023, handed down a unanimous guilty verdict against former Chief Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott Gertrude Newton, Alice Johnson, and Rebecca Wisner in the alleged murder case at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
Eleven out of the twelve jurors voted guilty against the defendants with one voting not guilty. As a stand, the defense lawyers have taken an appeal to the honorable Supreme Court of Liberia to review the ruling of the trial juror.
During a counter-argument with both the prosecution and the defense team. The prosecution maintained that there was no break-in on the home of Cllr. Scott, on the night of the incidents.
They further argued that they had proven their case beyond all reasonable doubt and the juror should hand down a guilty verdict against the defendants.
The prosecution claimed Cllr. Scott used pepper spray, which was applied to the victim such action couldn’t allow the alleged perpetrator to escape the scene. For their part, the defense argued and said all of the prosecution witnesses didn’t link any of the defendants to the killing of the deceased.
The defense lawyers continued and said that Cllr. Scott on many occasions informed the Liberia National Police that her life was threatened and someone was after her life. before the day of the incident and the police advised her to increase the security at her home.
In a heated argument, the defense said the government of Liberia charged these defendants wrongly the murderer is out there and the Liberia national police must redirect the investigation toward Mayor Jefferson Koijee Varlee Telleh, and others.
The defense said the murder weapon prosecution claimed that the defendants allegedly used was not produced in court, the defense said apart from the nine (9) wounds the victim sustained there(3) extract wounds. During the argument, the defense informed the jurors Dr. Matthias Okoye told the court that the defendants did not kill the victim, the was a force used against the victim.
Dr Okoje displayed the DNA sample and none of the defendants did the act. The defense said prosecution witness Zion Tarr told the court and jurors he heard a noise coming from the Former Chief Justice’s house and as a security guard assigned went to see what was happening and Co-defendant Gertrude Newton told him armed robbery jumped on them in the house and she asked what he had on him and he said a cutlass and he use that cutlass to cut the window bar.
The defense question was can a cutlass cut a steal without binding, the defense claimed that the particular steal had already been removed and the criminal passed through.
The defense said Dr. Okoye informed the court there was a male DNA found in the middle left-hand fingernail of the deceased Charlie Musu. Okoye said Charloe died of blunt-force trauma as a result of multiple stabbing wounds caused by an instrument that is not a knife and the stabbings were caused/done by a muscular male.
The defense further argued that the government of Liberia falsely accused the defendants of the crime.
The defense told the jurors to look at all of the evidence that was provided in court and hand down a not-guilty verdict.
“Free these people based on evidence and the was no evidence to link the defendant.” Cllr. Scott lawyers.
It can be recalled that the grand jury for Montderrado County indicted Gloria Musu Scott Gertrude Newton, Alice Johnson, and Rebecca Wisner, for the crime of Murder and Criminal conspiracy and making information to Law enforcement officials.
The defendant was placed behind bars on June 22, 2023, at the Monrovia Central Prison. The case began with the selection of prospective jurors which lasted for weeks before a 15-man panel juror was selected to serve, the after being selected was sequestrated the very day the panel was completed.
After a few weeks due to illness, two jurors were taken to the JFK hospital. Judge Willie informed the court that after the two jurors had been treated they would not be allowed to sit on the panel because they had interacted with the public.
Both the prosecution and the defense lawyers produced 33 witnesses and the case lasted for four months, while the defendant had been behind bars for six months.
