Police charge woman with Manslaughter in husband’s death

By Patrick N. Mensah, Maryland

Police have charged a woman suspected for the death of her 43-year-old husband after a fistfight in Pleebo, Electoral District#2, Maryland county in southeast Liberia with Manslaughter and forwarded her to court.

Suspect Josephine Diabeh was charged on Friday, October 21, 2022, following an investigation by chief investigator Jimmie Kaydor of the Liberia National Police Crime Services Department in Pleebo.

She is currently at the Pleebo Magisterial Court following the charge in accordance with Article 14.2 of the Penal Law of Liberia, after a fistfight with her husband, the late Nathaniel Zambia Williams, 43, resulting in his death.

The 35-year-old suspect was arrested and incarcerated on Monday, October 18, 2022, following preliminary investigation over the gruesome death of Mr. Williams.

The late Nathaniel Zambia Williams was a former security for Orange Tower in Pleebo, Maryland county.

Meanwhile, since the suspicious death, there have been controversies over the incident, characterized by fear among community members.

After the death of Mr. Williams, a close relative revealed that Ms. Diabeh and their junior brother were involved in a serious fight, which they alleged resulted in him being hospitalized followed by his demise on October 18th.

Some relatives narrated that the widow has allegedly been in a constant habit of beating on their brother.

One relative narrates: “Thank you very much; I came from River Gee County Gbepo Karweaken, this gone Thursday and I got at the home during the afternoon and I was given kola. But following the kola ceremony, because they can’t give kola to people in the evening, so we laughed with it, but later, confusion broke up between our brother and his wife that same day.”

The male relative added that the conflict between the couple ensued after their late brother accused his wife of involvement in extra-marital affairs with someone in the community.

He said following the allegation, he told the late Williams that it wasn’t the reason why he came to visit his home, and later asked the deceased to exercise patience and forget about whatsoever misunderstanding they might have had.

But the relative alleged that his younger brother later said he won’t listen to even Jesus Christ from heaven because the situation has been a total embarrassment to their relationship.

The relative continued that after constant appeals to the deceased, he and his wife left the couple because the late Williams maintained that he had endured lots of frustrations from now suspect Diabeh.

“…this woman just feels she gets plenty body, but I will show her myself”, the late Williams was quoted to have said.

“So, the both of them began the fight, passing behind their house and started throwing rocks. But when I was going there, I left my touchscreen [mobile phone] behind and took another road; when I was leaving, I used a parable, saying since both parties did not want to agree hmmm, I hope you guys shouldn’t turn things different”, the relative narrates.

According to him, suspect Diabeh then passed behind the house and remarked to the late Williams, ‘The rocks you have thrown on me since today you been throwing rocks at me; myself too I will hold something on you o-O-O.’

“So, Josephine went and [held] my brother’s private parts, before I reached there, things fall apart; no way, then my brother was throwing his hand up. If you say Zambia, then he can say who’s calling?”

The relative notes that the next morning, which was on Friday, he received call from Pleebo that the late Williams’ condition wasn’t encouraging so he was rushed to Pleebo health center the same day because the incident happened on Thursday, 18^th October at about 8:15 PM.

He says the deceased was diagnosed with several body pains, including torture of his private parts and his entire spinal cord broken.

The relative explains that while at the Pleebo Health Center, the deceased was referred to JJ Dossen Memorial Referral Hospital in Harper City, where he was pronounced dead by health workers.

The late Williams and his widow had eight children prior to the domestic violence that led to his sudden death. Editing by Jonathan Browne