PHOTO: Murder suspect Hamilton Flomo facing court trial
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia– Police here in the central Bong County have charged and sent to court a 45-year-old man, Hamilton Flomo for allegedly murdering his wife in Tassah, Kpaai District.
On Wednesday this week, Flomo and the deceased had gone on their farm for the regular day’s work.
According to him, after his trap caught a grass cutter, he advised his wife that two-quarters of the meat must be sold to get rice, Liberia’s staple food which is currently in short supply on the local market.
Flomo, who is a rubber tapper, told police investigation that his request was denied by her.
Suspect Flomo furthered explained that he left his wife on the farm and went to negotiate the sale of the two quarters of meat. And upon his return, he said that his wife hid the meat, a situation that triggered bitter exchanges between them which later turned into a fistfight.
“After my trap caught the meat, I told her for us to sell some of the meat to buy rice since we don’t have anything for eating with rice being very expensive. When I told her, she kept arguing with me. As I speak, we don’t have rice. I wanted us to have something at home since things are expensive. My wife couldn’t listen to me!” he told police in Bong Friday. When I found the buyer, I came to get the meat, but she refused to give me the meat for sell. When I asked, she couldn’t respond. She later start to fight me,” the murder suspect added.
Flomo claimed that his wife later threatened to kill him with a cutlass and he in self-defense hit her with a stick on the head.
After he noticed she was dead, he told the Police that ran into the bush and later threatened to harm anyone who will expose him.
Jurors’ report
According to a 15-member coroner jury set up to examine the body, it was established that Hamilton Flomo wasted acid on his wife before chopping her with a cutlass on the head.
The victim was later ordered buried.
Meanwhile, Flomo has been charged with murder and forwarded to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Bong County to face trial.
Citizens’ reaction
Moreover, Community dwellers who spoke to our reporter described the incident as unfortunate, with others expressing mixed reactions.
Many however feel it’s becoming commonplace here in Bong County.
Background
At the same time, police records in Bong County have revealed that Sanoyea District for the past three years top major crimes list in the County, ranging from murder, attempted murder, rape, aggravated assault, manslaughter and persistent-Nonsupport, among other crimes.
The records also show that 85 percent of these culprits are young people.
In July of this year, a man killed his father justifying that he saw his father like an animal, thus shooting him to death in Sanoyea district.
The 31-year=old man was charged with manslaughter and illegal possession of firearm.
He has been arrested and reminded in police custody awaiting court trial.
In August 2021, a hunter accidentally killed another hunter in Sanoyea Chiefdom with a single barrel gun during hunting with similar justification.