Police jail woman for allegedly murdering spouse

By Lincoln G. Peters 

The Liberia National Police (LNP) has investigated, charged and forwarded to the Monrovia City Court 35 years old Ophelia Targbe in connection to the death of her boyfriend Jefferson Dweh.

Defendant Ophelia is a resident of the Battery Factory Swamp Community. Police said her boyfriend Dweh’s lifeless body was found in the swamp behind her house on 26 March 2022.

Police said the deceased was earlier seen on Friday, 25 March 2022 at his girlfriend’s Targbe’s place in the community prior to his death. 

Defendant Targbe has been taken to South Beach prison compound for detention while awaiting trial.

Police said the crime is in violation of Chapter 14, Subchapter “A” Section 14.1 of the Revised Penal Code of Liberia.

The police charge sheet in the possession of this paper disclosed that defendant Targbe was turned over to the Crimes Against Person Unit (CAPU) of the Liberia National Police, acquainted with her constitutional right, investigated and subsequently charged with the crime of circumstantial murder.

According to police, the deceased’s clothes remained in defendant Targbe’s house while his lifeless body was discovered in the swamp at the back of the accused’s house.

The deceased was discovered wearing only a blue boxer, police said.

Police said the back of his neck was swollen and he had a blunt force mark at the back of his head.

The police charge sheet detailed that investigation determined that defendant Targbe and the victim were lovers.

They had known each other for the past year and had had an intimate relationship for the past two months. The deceased had visited the accused on three occasions, police said.

On Saturday evening, 25 March 2022, police said the victim told his girlfriend Targbe that he wanted to take a bath. Accordingly, he took off his clothes in the defendant’s living room.

After bathing, police said victim Dweh had on his blue boxer without shirt and he returned to Targbe’s room.

The police investigation revealed that while the victim was with his girlfriend, defendant  Targbe in her room, her daughter Faith and Princess came from fetching water and they met their brother named Prayer and Mark, watching movies on Mark’s phone.

“During the morning hours when the body was discovered by a neighbor to be identified, behind defendant Targbe’s house, she immediately collected the victim’s clothes from her house and placed them into a rice bag and gave them to her son, Prayer.

She allegedly gave her son the clothes to deliver them to Oretha Musa for reasons best known to her.

Defendant Targe denied knowing the victim after his body was discovered. But when police arrived, she allegedly admitted to taking the victim’s clothes to her neighbor’s house to destroy evidence. 

Victim Dweh’s clothes, including a red helmet, orange reflector jacket, black safety boot and blue T-Shirt, which were taken away by his girlfriend to her next-door neighbor’s house, were retrieved, according to police.

In view of the facts and circumstances, the police investigation resolved to charge defendant Targbe with the crime of circumstantial murder, in accordance with Chapter 14, Subchapter “A” Section 14.1 of the Revised Penal Code of Liberia.