By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TUBMANBURG, Liberia- The Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit Court in the western Bomi County, Nancy Sammy today (Tuesday, March 17, 2020) handed down a guilty verdict for the man indicted for murdering Journalist Tyron Browne, Jonathan Williams.
Judge Sammy ruled that the Prosecution provided convincing evidence to prove that Williams committed murder, but reserved sentence pending probe by the Probation Officer of Montserrado County. Defendant Williams had earlier during the trial admitted killing Journalist Browne, but he claimed it was in self-defense.
The Probation Officer’s probe is to ascertain the character of Williams before this Friday, March 20, 2020.
Journalist Brown of Super FM/TV in Monrovia was stabbed to death several times in the Duport Road, Paynesville suburb of Monrovia. And the trial first started at the Temple of Justice in the Liberian capital.
The case was however transferred to Bomi County based on change of venue motion filed by lawyers representing Jonathan Williams, Cllr. Jallah Barbu and Cllr. Jimmy Bombo, which is a right of any party.
After Tuesday’s court ruling, the defense team of Williams, who have been pressing for the verdict to be reduced to manslaughter, announced that they are filing an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Last year, lawyers representing both defendant Jonathan Williams and defendants Alice Youtee along with Edwina Youtee Cllr.Jimmy Bombo and Jonathan Massaquoi filed a writ of Certiorari to the Justice in Chamber, Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh.
They requested change of venue for defendant Jonathan Williams while Cllr. Massaquoi was requesting for separate trial for Alice and Edwina Youtee.
The writ of Certiorari was filed when the Criminal A judge Roosevelt Z Willie denied both the change of venue and separate trial motions for defendant Williams and defendants Youtee.
Earlier on, defendant Williams told his lawyer representing him that the case should be transferred to Gbapolu County. But state prosecutors came in to defend why only Gbapolu county instead of other nearby counties, something that was defended to the fullest which the judge saw logic in denied that motion.
State prosecutors in their defense said Alice and Edwina Youtee cannot be granted separate trial, because the incident occurred in their presence. They never reported the matter to the police and they were charged with criminal facilitation and hindering of law enforcement.
The Justice in Chamber heard the matter and made determination that defendant Williams should be granted change of venue, while the defendants Alice and Edwina should be granted separate trial. Prosecutors disagreed with the Justice in Chamber and took an appeal to the Full bench of the Supreme Court.
The Appeal taken to the full Beach of the Supreme Court of Liberia said the Writ was argued by both state lawyers headed by Cllr. Corlelius Wander and Edwin Kla Martin; while, the defend lawyers were headed by Cllr. Jallah Barbu and Cllr. Jimmy Bombo and Supreme Court reserved ruling after arguing the Writ of Certiorari.
The Supreme Court therefore ruled granting the change of venue instead of Gbarpolu County as requested by the defense lawyers, it was transferred to Bomi County due to bad road and logistical constraints.
Journalist Tyron Brown was allegedly murdered by defendant Jonathan Williams in a compound in Du-port road outside Monrovia, after he had gone to visit his friend Edwina Youtee on April 15, 2018 but his lifeless body was discovered at the Kingdom care medical clinic intersection on April 16, 2020.