-After her corpse was abandoned for over a year
PHOTO: 71-year-old convicted rapist-murderer, Josiah Karwon in orange jumpsuit
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Just as he promised to take full responsibility
of the 11 year-old rape and murder victim that was abandoned at the Heave
Funeral Home in Saclepea, Nimba County, northeastern Liberia, she has finally been
laid to rest in her home town in Buweh town over the weekend.
It can be recalled on January 14,2019, the 11-year-old girl identified as Veroline Lougon was raped, murdered and secretly buried in a swamp by a 71-year-old man, Josiah Karwon in Buweh Town, Saclepea Meh district, after she has gone to wash to a nearby creek in the area.
Recently, the Administrator of the Heaven Give Funeral Home, known as Saye M. Lakpor vowed to take full responsibility of the victim’s funeral expenses, as her corpse was abandoned at his funeral home for over one year now.
Reports said the government
has failed to pay a bill of US$20,000.00.
Mr. Lakpor in a telephone interview with this Reporter earlier said that he
only wanted clearance from government, because the victim remains body was
taken at his funeral home by police authority. Therefore, he said he could not
just release the 11-year-old victim’s remains to her family members without
government’s involvement.
The Heaven Funeral Home administrator, Lakpor also said that the prolonged stay
of the girl’s body put it in a bad condition.
He added that he will settle down for any amount owed his entity, if the government
decides to pay any portion of the bill.
Mr. Lakpor did as he promised by preparing the casket, dress and family blanket
for the abandoned little rape-murder victim and even transported the body of
the victim’s home town, Buweh.
Earlier in October last year, the Administrator of the funeral home alarmed and
called on the government to remove the abandoned body.
But he was reportedly
told by the government through the Ministry of Justice to preserve the body
until the matter was concluded at the court. But since the perpetrated of the
act was tried and sentenced by the court, no attention has been given to the
Funeral Home.
“On several occasions, I used about 600 USD on transportation myself from
Saclepea, Nimba County to engage the Ministry of Justice in Monrovia and
county administration to remove the abandoned body from my funeral home but to
no avail,” Mr. Lakpor said.
He said that the continued hunger strike by the rape-murder victim’s mother was
making him afraid, something that led him to call on government to issue him
clearance, in order to willingly turn the body over to family members.
The perpetrator of the crime, Josiah Karwon, age 71 was arrested, investigated,
Charged and forwarded to court for kidnapping, rape and murder.
He was unanimously found guilty by the trial jurors at the 8th Judicial Circuit
Court in Sanniquellie City, Nimba county and he was sentenced to 20 years
jail.