Who will receive Charloe Musu’s body?

A sorrowful but interesting drama surrounding the corpse of the late Charloe Musu has ensued here, as lawyers representing the former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu Scott reject current attempts by the Government of Liberia, through the Coroner of Montserrado County, and the Liberia National Police, to deliver Charloe’s body for burial.

This is happening more than four months after the conduct of the government-ordered autopsy on Charloe’s remains, followed by fruitless calls by the family for government to hand over the body for a befitting funeral.

The Government of Liberia, through the Coroner of Montserrado County, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, reached out to one of Justice Scott’s lawyers, seeking to convince the family to take delivery of the body for burial, but the lawyer showed no interest whatsoever, in the government’s initial attempt to hand over the body in a low-key fashion and to the humiliating exclusion of the late Charloe Musu’s guardian, Justice Gloria Musu Scott, who is currently languishing in prison.

The government, again, on July 19, 2023, through Deputy Commissioner of Police for CSD, CID & Interpol, Col. Prince Mulbah, wrote Cllr. Augustine Fayiah, a member of Justice Scott’s legal team, requesting him to take delivery of the body on behalf of the family for funeral arrangements and burial, but the latest request has also been denied by Cllr. Fayiah. 

Col. Mulbah’s letter reads: “With compliments and in reference to the attached communication dated June 29, 2023, from the office of the Coroner, Montserrado County, stating the completion of post-morten examination/observation, coupled with autopsy conducted on the remains of the late Charloe Musu, we concurred with said office that the body be released to the bereaved family for funeral arrangement and interment.”

Deputy Inspector General Mulbah (103) said his letter to Cllr. Fayiah was triggered by a June 29, 2023 communication from the Coroner of Montserrado County, Abraham B. Ricks, stating the completion of post-morten (physical examination) and the completion of autopsy on the body of the late Charloe Musu, thus the need to deliver the body to the family for burial.

In his reply to Inspector Mulbah, dated July 20, 2023, Cllr. Fayiah declined the government’s request on grounds that he’s only a lawyer for Cllr. Scott and the other three suspects, and not a member of the Musu or Scott family, and therefore cannot take delivery of the body as requested.

Cllr. Fayiah’s reply/response reads: “kindly be informed that my role as one of counsels for Cllr. Gloria M. Musu Scott, former Chief Justice of the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia, and her family does not extend to assuming the role of taking the body of the late Charloe Musu.”

Amid this latest drama, the spokesperson for the Musu family, Mr. Nathaniel Toe said the current attempts by the government to hand over the body to, in his words, just anybody for the sake of turning it over, confirms the suspicion Justice Scott and other family members had prior to their arrest and incarceration, that there were efforts and plans by powerful political people to sew seed of discord in the Musu and Scott families by excluding Justice Scott from any funeral activities of the late Charloe, while at the same time accusing her of being the murderer along with other family members.

This apparent political scheme, according to Mr. Toe, is intended to increase the family’s grief and destroy their unity by keeping Justice Scott away from Charloe’s funeral and projecting her (Gloria) as a guilty person in the eyes of Charloe’s biological parents and other family members.

Charloe’s Monrovia guardians are in prison and her biological parents who had since returned to Maryland County are showing little or no signs of willingness to come to Monrovia to receive their daughter’s remains, especially in the absence of Justice Scott who has guarded and parented the late Charloe in the last two decades.

Charloe Musu’s tearful biological parents painfully departed Monrovia and returned to Maryland County after spending nearly three months in Monrovia, with more confusion, grief and uncertainty, and no news as to when their daughter’s remains would ever be released for burial.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, June 1, 2023, prior to their departure, the mother, Mrs. Lucy Elliott-Musu said she and her husband, Alphonso Musu, Sr. had no other choice but to return to Maryland County, having been disrespected, ignored and further traumatized during their stay in Monrovia.

Mrs. Elliott-Musu lamented that all their appeals for government to turn their daughter’s body over for burial since the conduct of the government-ordered autopsy on March 21, 2023, have fallen on deaf ears.

She emotionally wondered why the government continues to keep their daughter’s body and increase the family’s sorrow since in fact, the much talked-about scientific investigation (autopsy) had already been conducted.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, Lucy said she and her husband were constrained to return to Maryland County to take care of their other children and attend to their jobs and other family matters that have been stalled for nearly months due to their prolonged and uncertain stay in Monrovia.

She added that considering the road condition and particularly, with the rainy season already here, they may or may not be able to travel back to Monrovia whenever the government was pleased or ready to release their daughter’s remains.

Charloe Musu, a prospective graduate of the Starz University of Science & Technology, was stabbed multiple times by an unknown individual at the Virginia residence of former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu Scott, on the night of February 22, 2023, and subsequently pronounced dead in hospital on the same date. Editing by Jonathan Browne