64-year-old man discovered dead on sugarcane farm

  By: Emmanuel wise Jipoh 

Days after the release of autopsy reports on the remains of the late Anthony Tiaka and eight-year-old Levi’s Koffa in Maryland County, a 64-year-old man identified as William T. Stephens has been found dead on a sugarcane farm in Barriken Township, outskirts of Pleebo City.

Speaking to reporters, a son of the deceased, Omega C. Stephens, narrated that the situation occurred on Friday evening, 2 September after he received a call that his father was lying unconscious on the sugarcane farm.

Omega continued that upon his arrival on the scene, he contacted the Liberia National Police and health workers in Pleebo, but they didn’t respond immediately because it was about 9:00 PM.

However, he said state security personnel and health workers from the Pleebo Health Center went on the scene early Saturday, September 3, 2022.

He explained that his father was taken to the Pleebo Health Center where he was pronounced dead by health authorities.

Omega added that a 15-man coroner jury was established that carefully examined the lifeless body and later pronounced there was no foul play.

Family sources and residents are still wondering what may have led to the death of Mr. William T. Stephens.

Others suspect that the victim may have died as a result of health conditions.

Meanwhile, the son of the deceased, Omega C. Stephens disclosed that his late father was a right inguinal hernia patient.

He said the deceased also had respiratory problems, which caused him some difficulties in breathing before his demise.

Omega further narrated that his late father underwent medical treatment at the James Jenkins Dossen Memorial Hospital in Harper City, Maryland county prior to his death.

“My father had been experiencing this problem almost fifteen years now and he went to hospital to do operation and he allegedly ran away because he said he was afraid of dying”, Omega recalled.

Other relatives disclosed that the deceased was advised not to go on the farm until completion of his medication, but he allegedly refused to listen to them and forcibly went on the farm.

They stressed that it may have been his health conditions that resulted to his death, cautioning the public not to shift blame on anyone for his death.

According to sources, the late William T. Stephens is survived by 11 children – five males and six females.

Meanwhile, the suspicious death of William T. Stephens, has generated fear in residents of Barriken particularly, among sugarcane producers and subsistence farmers.

His lifeless body was turned over to family members by the Crime Service Department of the Liberia National Police for burial.

Separate autopsies conducted on the remains of the late Anthony Tiaka and eight-year-old Levi’s Koffa in Maryland revealed that both died of natural and accidental causes respectively, in July. Editing by Jonathan Browne