PHOTO: 22 year-old Morris Togbah being led out of the court for prison officer after his guilty verdict
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- After his aunt was allegedly murdered, Morris Togbah fled and went into hiding for some time, but the Liberia National Police managed to have later arrested, investigated, charged and sent him to court in late 2020.
Now, after a period of trial, a twelve-member Jury at the Criminal Court “A” today, Monday, August 24,2022 unanimously handed down guilty verdict against defendant Togbah for the crime of Murder in the court presided over by Resident Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie, who is due to sentence him early next month.
Defendant Togbah was indicted for murder by the grand Jury of Monsterrado County for allegedly committing a felony of the first degree in violation of 4LCLR, Title 26, Section 14.1, Section 50.5 and Section 2.2.
Accordingly, prior to the incident on July 1, 2020, Togbah was not in cordial relationship with his aunt due to his criminal behavior of collecting rent from her tenants and converting it into his personal use.
Based on his criminal behavior, his aunt drove him from her house after releasing him from the Monrovia Central Prison in 2019, which caused him to harbor hatred for her.
The indictment added that when defendant was leaving his mother’s New Kru Town residence in the morning, he was wearing a brown cold hat which was later discovered on the crime scene, after the commission of the crime which was confirmed to link to him.
Defendant Togbah pleaded guilty when the case was called and by law, the state usually put the guilty plea aside and go ahead with the case.
The indictment noted that after the commission of the crime defendant Togbah fled and went into hiding where he remained until October 13, 2020, when he was picked up on the Capital Bye pass by the police.
Defendant Togbah tacitly admitted wearing the hat on the night of the incident but claimed that prior to the incident he met one of his friends who approached him on an operation but after his refusal, his friends forcibly took the cold hat from his head, the indictment explained.
On October 13, 2020, defendant Togbah was arrested, acquainted with his constitutional rights, thoroughly investigated and subsequently charged for gruesomely murdering deceased Rebecca Queeley with a green handle kitchen knife.
According to the indictment, while deceased Queelay was asleep, defendant Togbah entered the premises, concealed himself in the bathroom under the cover of darkness and with criminal minintent to Murder the deceased.
The indictment maintained that as the deceased went to bed, the defendant used the green handle knife intentionally struck deceased on the left side of her chest, under her left breast, thereby directly causing her fatal death.
Adding that the commission of the crime of Murder, defendant Togbah without any sense of remorse to human value, abscond the crime scene and was later arrested on October 13, 2020.
After reading the verdict yesterday In court, Judge Roosevelt Willie ordered the clerk to do a communication to the probation office of the Ministry of Justice for a report on the defendant Togbah’s character prior to the commission of the crime.
“The said report will enable the court to make an informed decision regarding the sentencing of defendant Togbah and that report should be sent to the clerk office on or before Friday,” September 2,2022, Judge Willie noted.
Meanwhile, the sentencing hearing will be conducted on September 2, therefore adding that all parties are advised to take cognizant of the time.