By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson
Capitol Hill, Monrovia, Liberia: For allegedly killing his girlfriend Samelia Darlene Fuller at the Soul Clinic Community, defendant Liston B. Yekeh has been brought before the Minrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice by the Liberia National Police (LNP).
On January 24, 2023, the defendant Yekeh was sent to court in anticipation of a court trial for a number of crimes, including Manslaughter and Possession and Sale of Physical Objects for Lethal Use (Possession of Firearm) in violation of Chapters 14 and 17 of the new Penal Law of the Republic of Liberia.
The victim Fuller, her boyfriend, defendant Yekeh (accused), and others from the Soul Clinic Community, including Joyce Dariue, Antoinette Yarpah, Lydia Sekpor, and Oliver Daniels, left their Soul Clinic Community on Monday, January 2, 2023 at approximately 8:30 PM to celebrate the New Year Holiday (Monday). They then traveled to Zazay Community and Duport Road.
The defendant Yekeh asked for his belongings (his waist bag and jacket), which were given to him by Joyce Darjue, the deceased Samella D. Fuller’s older sister, to be sent home after they arrived at the victim Fuller’s (the deceased’s) parents’ house and had been there for about 30 minutes, according to the police charge sheet.
According to the police charge sheet, after receiving his items in the middle of everyone, defendant Yekeh took a single barrel shotgun (pistol) that he held in his hand, frightening his friends. However, he then decided to open the gun to prove to his friends that it was empty of ammunition; he claimed that during this process, the gun fired and struck the deceased, who was standing directly across from him. The deceased then fell to the ground and began bleeding from her neck.
In addition, it says that right after the occurrence, the deceased was put on a motorbike and raced to a neighboring hospital (Benson Hospital), but was diverted and sent to the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital, where she was discovered to be dead by medical staff.
According to police investigations, “the body was afterwards preserved at the J.F.K. Morgue, where external exams were carried out by homicide detectives and their forensic colleagues, as well as the head of Montserrado County’s coroner.”
According to the police charge sheet, single-barreled gun entry and gunpowder residue were found on the victim’s neck precisely under the chain during the external inspections, and no exit wound(s) were found.
In the absence of a counsel, defendant Yekeh made the decision to keep quiet throughout the police inquiry into his role in the death of victim Fuller.
According to investigators, those who were there at the time testified that the occurrence occurred as a result of a mistake.
Eyewitnesses testified that they were all enjoying themselves while spending the New Year’s holiday with the late Fuller and her boyfriend (defendant Yekeh), doing everything together. Until everyone had returned home, they had not noticed any confusion or misunderstanding between the deceased and the victim.
the defendant Yekeh asked for his bag to be taken home and pulled out the gun to show them that he has the firearm to fight any would-be criminals who might come his way while going home, but while he defendant Yekeh was holding the gun and trying to open it, the gun immediately flinched. the witnesses further in their testimonies that when they were at the late Samelia’s parent house and it was late, everyone was thinking about going home at their separate locations.
In response to a request for funeral preparations, the head of the Montserrado County Coroner has since delivered the departed body to her grieving family.
