Woman charged for son’s death
Police in Monrovia have charged a 19 – year – old woman Decontee Garley with murder, having allegedly admitted to investigators that she served her eight – month – old son Devine Moore with “dangerous liquid substance” that resulted to his death in December.
A social worker assigned at the State -run John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Sinkor, Monrovia Mrs. Sienneh Juah had made claims that the baby was admitted at JFK after his mother Decontee Moore “intentionally gave” him “a dangerous liquid substance which resulted to his demise the next day, December 22, 2016.”
Police investigators said medical reportrevealedthatlittleDevine died from “cardiopulmonary complication of toxic ingestion, concluding that defendant Decontee was ‘culpable of the offence murder”.
A police charge sheet dated 19 December 2016 says defendant Decontee, a resident of Jallah Town community, was taken to the Police Headquarters on Capitol Hill before the Women and Children Protection Section based on allegation of murder.
Police said when defendant Decontee’s mother witness Victoria Yonly was interviewed over the incident,sheadmittedthe accused was her biological daughter, saying the defendant, the victim and her other children and grandchildren lived in the Jallah Town Community.
Witness Victoria said on Wednesday, 21 December, she (witness) gave defendant Decontee L$20.00 to buy doughnut for victim Devine, adding that Decontee bought the doughnut and then took her son into her (defendant’s) room.
The defendant’s mother told police that she later heardthe baby crying, and when his mother brought him outside, his mouth was observed to be whitish. After being taken to a community clinic in Jallah Town, the victim was later transferred tothe JFK Medical Center for medication.
Defendant Decontee admitted toherVictoria’s testimony, detailing that while bathing her son in her room, she went intothe witness’ room located in the same house and collected a small cholera bottle containing a liquid substance.
She is said to have told police that she filled the tap of the cholera bottle and gave it to her son Devine following which the victim began toileting and vomiting profusely. Defendant Decontee said when she later tooklittleDevine outside, her mother and sisters noticed that thebaby’s mouth was pealing. She said victim Devine was taken to the CMC Clinic in Jallah Town which referred the victim to JFK Medical Center.
A police finding says the defendant “willfully and knowingly gave the dangerous substance to victim Devine Moore which led to his untimely death”. Police said the defendant’s statement corroborated other witnesses’ accounts.
By Winston W. Parley -Editing by Jonathan Browne