Opposition claims flawed police report in Princess Cooper’s death

Opposition Vision for Liberia Transformation Party (VOLT) political leader Dr. Jeremiah Z. Whapoe has condemned the police here for claiming no foul play in Princess Cooper’s death, saying the police’s heavy dependence on autopsy report to determine who committed a crime is consequential to presenting flawed report and undermining the integrity of the investigation.

Reading a press statement titled ‘Liberians’ Lives Matter’ on Friday, 1 April 2022 at his office in the Old Road Community, Dr. Whapoe lamented that it has once again begun to resurface to the public sphere mysterious disappearances and subsequent discoveries of citizens’ lifeless bodies around the country.

“The denial of the Liberia National police to institutionalize appropriate crime scene investigative measures in the first 24 hours of a crime commission is parallel to being an accomplice to a crime,” Dr. Whapoe claimed.

Whapoe argued that it is very easy for investigators to determine what happened, and who did what if they follow five simple steps in crime scene investigation, naming them as physical evidence recognition, documentation, proper collection, packaging, preservation of crime scene, and, finally, scene reconstruction.

“But we have observed over the period of time that these are not things that have been done. Somebody just goes on the scene with sirens and goes to look around and pass by and say, uh, no foul was played. I think that is very unprofessional.” 

“It’s very premature to bring out those kinds of results to people, especially so in the case of Princess where we saw the blood spilled all on the wall and the body was lying down right in the yard and somebody went there without proper investigation and just came out and said no foul was played,” said Dr. Whapoe. 

He strongly recommended the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) – led government under the watchful eyes of President George Manneh Weah be proactive in instituting preventive security measures to avoid and deter criminals and potential criminals from the commission of crimes, especially life-threatening crimes.

The VOLT political leader stated that the security apparatus here appear to lack the necessary competencies and skills required in investigating death-related crime and crime scenes.

Princess Cooper, 25, was discovered dead in the fence hosting the Fawaz Construction Materials Store at ELWA Junction on Thursday, 24 March 2022.

The deceased, according to an eyewitness, was a caterer, makeup artist and resident of Tweh Farm Community on Bushrod Island, District #16, Montserrado County.

But Police Spokesperson Moses Carter told the public that following an examination conducted on the lifeless body of Ms. Cooper, police investigators did not establish any foul play in the death of the young lady.

But Dr. Whapoe said VOLT has come to the public to express its consternation over the security situation in the country and unequivocally condemned the recurrence of alleged extra-judicial killing emerging in Liberia.

“It has once again begun to resurface to the public sphere mysterious disappearances and subsequent discoveries of citizens’ lifeless bodies around the country,” said Dr. Whapoe.

Dr. Whapoe vehemently condemned the deaths of Ms. Cooper whose lifeless body was discovered in Fawah, a Lebanese businessman yard; one Isaac whose lifeless body was uncovered in Johnsonville, Melvin Earley whose lifeless body was discovered in Jallah Town and Rev. C. Willington Morgan, Sr., who allegedly ran for his life between Somalia Drive and Nezoe communities, respectively. 

He recalled that other related deaths in recent times include William R. Tolbert, Jr.; and the son of the late president William V. S. Tubman, whose lifeless body was found in a pool of blood at his residence.

“The VOLT party is highly disappointed in the Liberia National Police and the manner and methods it has sanctioned and evolved to conduct crime scene investigation,” Dr. Whapoe said.