By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
SANOYEA, Liberia- The Criminal Investigation Division of the Liberia National Police in the central Bong County has sent to Court a 31- year-old man, charging him with manslaughter and illegal possession of firearm after he discharged and instantly killed his father.
The incident happened recently in Gweamu, Sanoyea District.
Victim Peter Dorwah, who was in his late 50s, was shot in his chest with a single barrel gun from close range by his step-son, Marcus Yancy.
This marks the second of similar incidents to happened in this area in less than a year. In August 2021, a hunter accidentally killed another hunter in Sanoyea Chiefdom with a single barrel gun during hunting, also claiming that it was a mistake.
Mr. Yancy, who spoke with journalist while in police custody, said he mistakenly took his step father to be an animal while hunting.
He added that the animal has dribbled him continuously, but shockingly turned this way after killing it!
The perpetrator also told newsmen from his Sanoyea police detention site that his action was a mistake and not deliberate, as many might be thinking.
31 year-old Marcus Yancy further narrated that after work on Saturday evening, everybody left him on the farm and went home as he had previously informed them that he was going to stay behind to hunt afterwards he would follow them in the town.
According to him, that Saturday evening after a downpour of rain abated, he decided to reach his usual hunting area using different route while on way, he observed something with black color quivering in the bush in front of him.
Marcus Yancy explained that being so eager to kill the animal, he usually missed, he immediately discharged the firearm, but to his dismay, only to hear the shouting of the victim [Peter Dorwah] who he tried helping but died instantly.
When the crime scene was visited, one could see the lifeless body of the victim lying near his cutlass, a bag with some pieces of ginger the victim had earlier dug from the farm before his unfortunate death. The late Peter Dorwah hailed from Salala district but settled and married in Sanoyea district- a neighbor to Salala district.
District residents speak out
Community dwellers, who spoke to this reporter, described the incident as unfortunate.
They however feel it’s becoming usual in this district.
The Sanoyea residents are further appealing to the Justice Ministry for a punishable measure to serve as deterrence.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening July 2, 2022, in an old cassava farm behind a village called Gweamu between 6:00 to 7:00 pm in Sanoyea District, Bong County.
At the same time, police records in Bong County have revealed that Sanoyea District for the past three years top major crimes list in Bong County ranging from murder, attempted murder, rape, aggravated assault, manslaughter and persistent-Nonsupport and etc.
The records also show that 85 percent of these culprits are young people.