Girl Has Been Missing Since Last October
PHOTO: Personal belongings of the missing girl found near the human skeleton
By Abraham K. Kollie, kollieabraham23@gmail.com
FIRESTONE, Liberia– A grim discovery at a Firestone plantation has led to the identification of a skeleton as that of a teenage girl who has been missing since last October, prompting an active police investigation.
The incident came to light on the morning of Friday, February 20, 2026, when authorities from the Plantation Protection Department (PPD) Firestone alerted the Crime Services Division (CSD). The report indicated that human remains had been found in the Division-15 area.
Detective Arthur D. Johnson, leading the investigation, was dispatched with PPD officers to authenticate the report. At the scene, officers observed a human skeleton inside a black plastic bag. Clothing items found nearby included a blue short trouser, a blue tab, a pink basin, wrist beads, and a multi-colored lapper (wrap skirt). Investigators noted the scene had suffered contamination due to the presence of a large crowd before their arrival.
Family Identification
Present at the location were family members of Geraldine Joseph, a girl reported missing in October 2025. Her father, John Joseph (61), mother, Mamie Kollie (40), and sister, Garmah Kollie, all residents of Long Camp, Division-16, identified the remains. They specifically recognized the lapper as belonging to Geraldine.
A fifteen-member coroner jury was convened on-site and confirmed the bones were human.
A Timeline of a Disappearance
According to statements from the parents John Joseph stated that in October 2025, his 13-year-old son, Hamson, informed him Geraldine had gone to church choir practice.
After three days, hearing she might be in Monrovia, he sent family members to search for her, but they returned empty-handed Mamie Kollie recounted that her daughter said she was going to a kickball practice in Mamdi Town, Division-16, and never returned. The mother later received conflicting accounts from community members:
A man named Prince Copper claimed he gave Geraldine 200 Liberian Dollars (LD) for transport home. Friends of the victim, identified as Everline and Fatu, told the mother they had not seen Geraldine, though Fatu mentioned the victim had spoken of attending a brother’s graduation.
The Break in the Case
According to Police investigation, the investigation gained momentum on *Wednesday, February 18, 2026*, when Mamie Kollie, returning from selling goods, observed boys looking at something in a swamp.
Upon investigating, she discovered the skeleton and recognized her daughter’s clothing. She alerted her daughter Garmah, who then reported the discovery to the local town chief, setting official proceedings in motion.
Investigation Challenges and Next Steps
Police report that key individuals named by the victim’s mother, including Prince Copper, Everline, and Fatu, have not been presented to authorities and cannot be reached for questioning. Due to heightened tensions at the scene, investigators were unable to immediately bring the parents in for further detailed interviews.
The remains have been officially signed over to Mr. Junior M. Kollie for preservation. The investigative team plans to return to the scene for further evidence collection and to locate and interview all persons of interest connected to the case.
The case remains under active investigation by the RIA Police Station. Authorities have attached photographs of the scene and clothing to their case file.