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Crime & Punishment

“I don’t know”

Prosecutors’ second witness Juana Bracewell has denied any knowledge about the death of journalist Tyron Browne telling a hearing on Thursday “I don’t know”.Browne was allegedly murdered during a visit to the witness’ neighbor defendant Edwina Promise Youtey on 15 April.

Madam Witness when did you get to know about the death of the late Tyron Browne?” a cross examiner had asked Juana on Thursday, 6 September when the witness responded: “I don’t know.”

Juana was among seven persons indicted following Tyron’s alleged murder by defendant Jonathan Williams this year.But prosecutors nolle prosequi (abandoned trial against) Juana and Bill Caesar Kennedy and Massa Kennedy in August to be used as State witnesses.

They lived in apartments in the same compound that principal defendant Jonathan Williams and his two “Nieces” Alice Youtey and Edwina Youtey lived in at Duport Road, the crime scene in Paynesville.

On the night of the incident, witness Juana says she was in the living room to take her medication when she heard noise outside.

She explains to the Court and a 15 – man jury panel that whenever she hears noise, she gets afraid because on 4 July [2017], she was attacked by armed robbers at her place.

She said it was against this backdrop that when she heard the noise, she went in the room and told [prosecutors’ first witness] Massa [Kennedy] that it’s “like armed robbers had entered the fence because I heard noise.”

While standing in the living room, witness Juana says she noticed that it was defendant Williams and his two girls [Alice and Edwina] who were standing outside.

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She adds that “because he lived in the compound with us,” she opened the door and went outside in the garage where she saw Williams and his two girls standing by him.

Juana testifies that she saw defendant Williams in an angry and confused state, walking up and down on his porch on 15 April, the night prosecutors say the accused allegedly murdered Tyron in Duport Road.

“I opened the door and went outside in the garage where I saw Jonathan Williams and his two girls standing by him, but he was in an angry and confused state, walking up and down,” the Court heard Thursday.

According to witness Juana, when Massa asked defendant Williams as to what had happened, the accused said: “nothing.”

Witness Juana furthers that because defendant Williams constantly chastises his girls, “we went back in our apartment to sleep.”While lying down in the room, witness Juana says she again “heard someone knocking at our room door.”This time she says when she asked, it was Massa’s little brother, Bill Kennedy.

Juana continues that when she opened the door and saw food on the living room table, she went back to bed because Bill lived in the compound with his sister Massa.She narrates that on April 15 this year, a daughter of a family member of hers was also murdered at Thinkers Village and the body was taken to the Roberts International Airport (RIA).

It was the day that her neighbor defendant Williams allegedly murdered Tyron brutally, wrapped the deceased in plastic, conspired with Caesar Kennedy and transported Tyron and dumped his injured body on the roadside at the Kingdom Care Community in Paynesville where he expired.

Like Massa who is now residing along the Marshall Road in Margibi after the Duport Road incident, second witness Juana says she too now lives Kesselly Boulevard in Barnersville.These two witnesses were living in the same compound that the alleged murder took place before Tyron’s injured body was transported to Paynesville and dumped by his alleged killers.

Witness Juana confirms that defendants Williams, Alice and Edwina were her neighbors in the “duplex” that had two apartments at Duport Road.Tyron was allegedly visiting Edwina at her Duport Road residence when defendant Williams allegedly stabbed the victim with a knife and brutally murdered him.

Edwina and Alice are charged with hindering law enforcement over claims that they witnessed the crime but conspired with Williams, kept mute, concealed and destroyed all traces of evidence.

Witness Juana says she made statement at the Liberia National Police (LNP) Headquarters, and she identified the statement, her signature and her lawyer’s signature during hearing on Thursday.

She has been discharged from the witness stand. Asked earlier in cross examination by a defense counsel on Wednesday, 5 September, if witness Massa Kennedy saw any dead body when she came outside her apartment on the night of 15 April, she responded: “No Your Honor.”The case continues Friday, 7 September at 9:00 a.m at the Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.

By Winston W. Parley–Edited by Othello B. Garblah

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NewDawn

The New Dawn is Liberia’s Truly Independent Newspaper Published by Searchlight Communications Inc. Established on November 16, 2009, with its first hard copy publication on January 22, 2010. The office is located on UN Drive in Monrovia Liberia. The New Dawn is bilingual (both English & French).
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