PHOTO: Defendant Josiah Karwon
By Never G. Lomo,garmahlomo@gmail.com
SANNIQUELLIE, Liberia- Following the production of both oral and documentary evidence by prosecution and defense lawyers, the 8th Judicial Circuit court in the northeastern Sanniquellie City, Nimba County is expected to hear final argument in the Rape and Murder case of an 11-year-old girl on Monday, December 9, 2019.
The court has also instructed both state prosecutors and defense lawyers to send in their jury instructions before Monday and on the same day, the jurors will enter into their room of deliberations to bring a guilty or not guilty verdict against the defendant Josiah Karwon.
During the trial, the prosecution produced seven general witnesses and one rebuttal witness, while the defendant testified on his behalf but a Writ of Subpeona was issued by the court on three witnesses. This, followed a question answered by the defendant, when he said that he worked for them on the day of the incident on January 14, 2019.
It was on January 14, 2019 that an 11-year-old girl identified as Veroline Lougon went missing after she had gone to wash at a nearby creek but was discovered dead and buried in swamp with her foot protruding from the shallow grave.
However, when the victim was discovered, it was discovered by health authority after examination that she was allegedly raped and murdered.
On January 14, 2019, the defendant was allegedly seen in muddy clothes coming from the direction where the child had gone to wash and he was carrying a shovel, digger, cutlass and touchlight.
The three Subpoena witnesses appeared in court but only two testified based on request from the defense lawyer.
The two Subpeona witnesses, who testified in open court, are Saye W. Yalee, a Police Officer and Eddie Domah, while the rebuttal witness was Mesco Gonlepea.
While on the direct examination, Police office Yalee said during the search for the missing child by community members and police officers in the bush, they came across a mark near a termite hill. And when they the bucket the deceased carried to wash in was seen across a steam in a rubber bush, the focus of their search turned to that direction.
Witness Yalee said while they following the direction where the bucket was found, a community member identified as John Freeman from another town, who was also part of the search, called them ‘to come see someone who was the missing child’s body build in a swamp with her foot showing up.’
Then they came to the scene where Mr. Freeman had called them to and he immediately called medical practitioners from Saclepea, who came and dug out the body. After examination, the medical practitioners pronounced that child was raped and murdered.
In his testimony, witness Yalee said the defendant was arrested based on eyewitness accounts who saw defendant Karwon with tools from the same direction where the child had gone missing and physically seen on his entire clothes and that the defendant was brought to him by the watch forum in Buah Town, Nimba County.
Eddie Domah appearing as another Subpeona witness added even though he told the defendant to dig a fish pond for him and showed the spot where the defendant should do this and the defendant even brushed the area. But he explained that the defendant while testifying denied that he ever worked at the spot shown to him, because it was the very spot where the child was discovered and he was said to have even charged L$2,500 for the entire work.
The two witnesses were cross-examined by state prosecutor, while the rebuttal witness, Mesco Gonlepea also denied that the defendant worked for him on his farm.
But the defendant during his testimony informed the court and jurors that he worked for the witness on the day of the incident.
Meanwhile, the Judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit Court has set next Monday for final argument in the case after which the verdict of guilty or not guilty for defendant Josiah Karwon.