PHOTO: “Open Zipper” (in front) leaving the correction palace
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
ZWEDRU, Liberia- One of the defendants in the 2021 gruesome murder of a commercial motorcyclist and grade school student in the southeastern Maryland County, Modacious Nyema, has taken the witness stand here in the 7th Judicial Circuit Court.
Defendant Jeremiah Appleton, alias “Open Zipper” was one of those accused of being sent to get human parts along with another man, Leo K. Williams.
Days after being found guilty of murdering a Maryland County commercial motorcyclist, Modacious Nyema last week, the Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court on June 6, 2022 sentenced his killer to 47 years imprisonment. Maryland Motorcyclist Murderer Sentenced To 47 Years In Jail – News Public Trust
The late Nyema, who was also a student in the area, was gruesomely murdered with parts extracted for alleged ritualistic purpose in Pleebo around April 2021, something that triggered mob violence in both Pleebo and Harper. And that eventually led to an imposition of temporary emergency measures in the affected areas by President George Manneh Weah. During the wave of protests, the home of House Speaker Bohfal Chambers was burnt as well as the destruction of properties, including the Harper Central Prison.
The girl friend of Moses Mlarmah, who was recently convicted of murdering the motorcyclists, who claimed to have given a plastic bag containing victim Nyema’s blood.
Defendant Appleton and the other defendant took the witness stand on their own behalf on June 7, 2022.
Appleton said that he was informed by one of his friends about the murder of motorcyclist Modacious Nyema where several motorcyclists ran on the scene.
According to him, when the motorcyclists who went on scene where their colleague was gruesomely murdered retuned, they took photos of body and began to show it to those them who didn’t go there.
The situation sparked three violent demonstrations which he said he was part of and during the evening hours, he went to watch a football game. He said it was at that time he was told by one of those who was released from the Harper Central Prison that defendant Moses Mlarmah, now convict, confessed his name, saying that he took the human parts to Tadpolee village, Barrobo District. And that it was given to one Daniel Wesseh, because he wanted to own a gold creek so he needed human parts.
He quoted his informer as saying that while they were killing the boy, Francis Kla Nyema who was released at the start of the case, met them there and told him to keep the secret on the basis of giving him L$7,000. After that, Francis Kla Nyema allegedly took the money and said he knew the main part of body that Daniel Wesseh want.
Narrating further, defendant Appleton said: “My informer told me that defendant Moses Mlarmah when he was detained at the Harper Central prison, said Francis Kla Nyema took the cutlass from them took off the main part from the body and gave it to him to carry to Daniel Wesseh in tadpolee village in Barrobo.”
“Upon receiving said information from my friend, he said he was surprised to see me in Pleebo instead of in tadpolee village Barrobo.
“Following the next morning, said information was all on the media especially when the journalists went to interview convict Mlarmah, he told them that it he and I Daniel Wesseh sent to carry on the act when the house speaker residence was burnt and he was informed that angry crowd was planning to reach at place.”
Defendant Appleton also told the court that when he heard that information concerning the angry crowd he was afraid and it was how left Pleebo (the place Modacious Nyema was killed) and went to Greenville, Sinoe County, where he reported himself to the police.
After turning himself over in Greenville, he was taken back to Harper on the same day where he spent two days, when he was quizzed as to whether he knows Alice Davis and Leo K Williams. But he said no. At that time he was taken to RiverGee County where he met Daniel Wesseh in the Police holding cell to whom Moses Mlarmah said I carried the human parts.
Defendant Appleton, alia “Open zipper also dispelled rumor that he received L$700 from convict Mlarmah to go and smoke narcotic drugs, in order to be brave to carry out the act but he has been knowing Moses Mlarmah in the traffic as a motorcyclist.
While on the cross-examination, defendant Appleton was questioned as to whether he made statement at the Fishtown Police headquarters and he responded yes.
In his statement, he gave the Fishtown Police station that he is a habit (drug) and he can do anything to get money in order to support his habit.
He was thoroughly cross examined by the prosecution.
Defense second witness, Leo K. Williams took the stand on June 9,2022 that he didn’t give money to convict Moses Mlarmah for human parts and said neither did he conspire to kill motorcyclist Modacious Nyema.
Witness Williams said he knew Mosses Mlarmah through his father who along with his girlfriend, Alice Davis lived together.
According to him, he was arrested by the police after he gone to inquire why his girlfriend Alice Davis was arrested by police when he too was arrested and placed behind bar on April 4,2021.
For her part, defense third witness, Alice Davis denied allegation of receiving plastic bag with blood from convict Moses Mlarmah.
According to her, she came from to work while at home, when she was arrested by police support unit officers without telling her the reason why she was arrested.
She also confirmed that she and convict Moses Mlarmah’s father, Adolphus Mlarmah live in the same yard in Pleebo, Maryland County.
She also testified that on the day of the incident, she didn’t see convict Mlarmah for the entire day and she was arrested on April 4,2021 in the present of her boyfriend Leo K. Williams when he went to visit her, the curfew that was enforced at the time caught him there.
Both Leo K. Williams and Alice Davis were cross-examined by state prosecutors.