By Kruah Thompson
The Government of Liberia has finally released the corpse of the late Princess Cooper to her family for burial following disagreement and recent standoff.
The remains of the late Princess Cooper were released to the family on Saturday, July 23, 2022, at the John F. Kennedy Hospital in Sinkor, Monrovia.
The body of the deceased is currently deposited at the K-five Funeral Home in Caldwell Township, Montserrado County, The New Dawn has gathered.
Family members expressed delight that the body of their dead relative has been turned over to them for a befitting burial. “We wanted it and we have it; that’s okay”, one family member said.
The late twenty-five (25)-year-old Princess Cooper was discovered dead on March 24, 2022, inside the compound of the Fawaz Building Materials Store in Paynesville with blood oozing from her mouth.
She was an entrepreneur and a professional caterer, according to family members.
Police preliminary investigation said there was no foul play in the death, but that claim was greeted by public condemnation.
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However, an autopsy conducted by the Government of Liberia attributed the cause of death to Tuberculosis.
The Liberian government released autopsy reports of the late Princess Cooper and Melvin Togbah at a special press conference held at the Ministry of Information on April 18, 2022, which revealed that the late princess died of tuberculosis.
But the family objected on grounds that their late daughter had had no such medical record prior to her mysterious death.
The family complained that the government did not extend an invitation to be present during the release of the autopsy report.
Subsequently, President Weah requested the family to provide a pathologist of its choice to perform a second autopsy, but it could not present pathology and therefore, asked the government through a release on Wednesday, 25 May 2022 to release the corpse for a befitting burial, lamenting that they see a fruitless journey and no path for justice for the deceased.
However, addressing the Ministry of Information special press briefing on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, Deputy Minister of Justice, Nyanti Tuan, said government welcomed the family’s request but demanded a written apology for discrediting State’s pathologists, who performed the autopsy and released results.
Minister Tuan insisted that said letter of apology must indicate that all rights of the Pathologists whose character were maligned by the family are restored.
“The family’s request for the government to turn the body over to them will not be possible until said communication is sent to the government”, said the deputy minister.
On July 11, 2022, a letter was quoted by Cllr. Findley Karnga, one of the lawyers representing the family that they are no longer interested in a second autopsy and want the deceased’s corpse for burial. Editing by Jonathan Browne
To God be all the glory! Rest well Princess your family actually fought for you with all their might but those fights whether victorious or not would not bring you back to life. Those who are responsible for your death we might not know them but God we leave them with God.