PHOTO: Defendant Anderson (Left at the back, tall, like in complexion and smiling) with the other two defendants
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTIC, Monrovia- Defendant Christian Byron Anderson, the man who pleaded guilty to killing the son of former President William V.S. Tubman, John H Tubman who pleaded guilty to killing him has testified in the Criminal Court “A” that he killed John Tubman for sodomizing him or making him his wife.
On Tuesday, June 21,2022, Anderson pleaded guilty, after his indictment was read to him at Criminal Court A. Main Defendant Pleads Guilty In Pres. Tubman’s Son Murder Case – News Public Trust
Main defendant Christian Byron Anderson pleaded guilty in this court presided over by its resident Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie, while state prosecutors nulle prosequa (dropped) charges in favor of the two other defendants–Emmanuel Forkey and Aloysius Garblah who will testify on behalf of the state in the killing of the late President’s son, John H. Tubman.
In his testimony on Thursday, June 23,2022, Anderson say “He sodomized me and made me his wife,” thereby damaging his life completely.
During the testimony in chief, defendant Anderson (who used to call John Tubman uncle) told the court’s jurors that sometime in July 2021, his uncle, called him for a painting job at his Fiamah residence in Sinkor, but he informed his uncle that he alone couldn’t do the painting. Rather, he needed some friends to join him but his uncle insisted that he alone could do the painting job.
According to him, since his Mr. Tubman insisted that he shouldn’t bring anyone to help him, he started painting bit by bit and he painting job could not finish the same day, because he was asked to go and do various other things, something Anderson said he frowned at because it wasn’t said purpose went to the house for.
Defendant Anderson revealed that his father had earlier warned him about the late John Tubman’s gay practice and at a point in time, the deceased told him that he loved him and will soon marry him (Christian Byron Anderson). And the said the deceased had the habit of always “slapping my butt when I am painting”.
“My uncle at one point in time gave me a juice but I refused it and he insisted that it was a special juice which he took it in and after which, he began to look at things in his eyes differently and he felt asleep. When I got up, I fell a sharp pain in his anus and he went in the bathroom to make sure what the cause of the pain in anus but he observed a slimy liquid came out of his anus and when he smell it, it was like a saliva,” defendant Anderson told the court.
Following the next morning in an angry mood, defendant Anderson said he asked uncle John whether he had sex with him, “but he didn’t answer me when he left the house for a while, I only saw him with food stuff and gave it to me.”
“After my observation that he has sex with me, argument broke between us and I told him that I wanted to go to hospital but he told me not to rush because he has case in court which the government is indebted to him but he Anderson insisted that he wanted to go to either JFK or Catholic to do his test,” Anderson added.
Month later, the deceased called my father and said that another boy who was his wife identified as Chineseboy died from HIV/AIDS. So, he wanted to do his test to know his status but the deceased kept telling him that he never had money which led him to take a kitchen knife against the deceased. He was later calmed down with a promise from the deceased that he will give him land and build him house and he will satisfy him more than he did for Chineseboy.
Narrating further, defendant Anderson added that he completed the painting of upstairs and it remained the downstairs, telling the deceased (John Tubman) that he along couldn’t do the painting, because of some heavy stuffs and he won’t be able to remove it. That was how, Anderson said he contacted the two other defendants, Aloysius Garblah who also contacted Emmanuel M. Forkey to join him.
“On another I told him that uncle John, I’m feeling bad because I want go to hospital if not I tell my father but uncle boldly told me that if I tell my father nothing will come out of it.” But he said Anderson said he threatened him with lawsuit yet, the deceased told him that the law owed him money and he might leave to go somewhere and he Anderson will be the looser, defendant Anderson further testified in court on Thursday.
Having heard said statement from the deceased, a riot broke out where he (Anderson) was insulted by the deceased and he too also insulted John Tubman. But he said what baffled him was that when he heard the deceased telling him that he wasn’t the only woman he had had sex with. But then Anderson said he sharply reacted and questioned him (John Tubman): “So you classified me to be a woman?”
Based upon his classification by calling him woman, he told him that he will teach him sense and later the deceased Tubman told him to leave his house which led him to developed angry for him and he decided to pay his debt by using mortar pencil on him but it wasn’t my intention to kill him.
So it was how I tied him up to pay my debt and told him that when I finish with you will never be a gay again. While in the fight, I punched him in the chest and he dropped and his head hit the table and he went off but he told him that I never come to kill you while Emmanuel Forkey and Aloysius Garblah stood at door and look at me.
I then told Forkey to hold his feet while Garblah held his hands and he decided to beg but he Anderson refused and told him that he has not come to kill him but to pay his debt since he has damaged his life by giving him HIV/AIDS and he Anderson won’t enjoy his children.
During the tussle, the deceased told him that he got US1,500 somewhere for he Anderson to go for it but he told that he didn’t go for money and I didn’t know he has pressure. While talking he yield and died which led me confused and we escaped from the scene.
From all indications, the physical look of defendant Anderson, he is not well in body and unable to sit for about a minute.
The defendant pleaded guilty after his indictment was read to him in open court on Monday June 20,2021, while Emmanuel Forkey and juvenile Aloysius Garblah charges were dropped based on information that they were not part.
As for Emmanuel Forkey, who testified on behalf of the state, said that he didn’t know the operation of defendant Anderson but he was only instructed to hold the deceased foot after they were told about a painting contract.
State prosecution’s second witness, Police officer Rafell Wilson took the stand and said that upon the death news of the deceased (John Tubman), they commenced a criminal investigation. And the Liberia National Police later arrested the defendants in Rivercess County, where they were charged and sent to court.
Meanwhile, Criminal Court “A” has set June 30, 2022 as the date for the final argument in the John Tubman murder case.
Lawyers were instructed by resident circuit Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie to send their legal memoranda on or before June 30, 2022 at 10Am, while the final argument takes place on the same day.