-While On His Farm
BY: Shallon S. Gonlor
GBARPA TOWN, NIMBA CO.— A 40-year-old man accused of killing his 35-year-old wife in Gbarpa Town has finally been arrested and sent to prison.
Chiefs, elders, and young men of Gbarpa Town helped police with the arrest on Monday, August 5, 2024, on the farm. Emmanuel Socrate Gboe, 40, arrest came while attempting to kill himself on the farm after a bullet pointed at himself on his neck missed its target. He is charged with murder — a first-degree felony and remanded to the Sanniquellie Central Prison pending court’s trial.
The alleged murderer was apprehended for murdering his wife who was found dead in their bedroom early Tuesday morning (July 30) as the result of a gunshot and bruises in the face. The man was accused of brutally killing his wife due to a tussle over extramarital affairs and jealousy. On the night of Monday, July 29, 2024, in Gbarpa Town, suspect Emmanuel Gboe allegedly shot his wife, Kou Dolo, 35, inside their bedroom with a single-barrel gun resulting in her death.
In comments following his subsequent arrest, the accused murderer attributed his actions to grouse disrespect and provocations directed at him from the victim (wife) and his mother-in-law. He explained that his wife’s mother has always interfered in his and his fiance’s domestic affairs, ringing insults and calling him all sorts of names like a broke, and foolish man. While accusing his wife of secret engagement in another relationship in the diaspora.
Emmanuel said the victim, his wife, Kou Dolo secretly communicated with her ex-husband living in the US, and usually transferred her huge sum of money with the consent of their firstborn son including his mother-in-law. He noted that whenever he privately confronts his fiance, it fuels confusion, saying as a result, he feels no more respected in the home due to his financial disability to provide and sponsor his children’s schooling.
He further noted that on numerous occasions, his wife and mother-in-law lashed at him in public and referred to him as a mere hunter. Reflecting on his trending incident, suspect Emmanuel Gboe regrets his action and admitted to the killing, but stated that it was the result of continued pressure and bad-mouthing.
Gboe, 40, charged with the commission of murder said on the night of Monday, 29 July he was frustrated and heartbroken over the decent outfits of his wife beyond his expenditure on July 26 celebrated as Liberia Independence Day.
The murderer averred that days after the country’s Independence Day celebration, he as a concerned and loving husband peacefully questioned his wife concerning her source of income to purchase such expensive wearings but she aggressively responded.
He added that in such a disobedient tone, he was intimidated with no other alternative but to open a bullet on her to death. The 40-year-old murderer is meanwhile calling for forgiveness from the victim’s family, noting that he was misled by the devil.
The act of violence against women in the community, GbarpaTown is noted for the first time, according to the oldest folks in the town. They said the incident brings to two the number of women who have been gruesomely killed by their male partners. Decades ago, another woman was killed by her husband because of jealousy of extra love affairs.
POLICE CHARGESHEET:
As the result of the complaint filed by complainant Matthew Dolo, defendant Emmanuel Socrate Gboe was arrested having been informed about his constitutional rights, investigated, and duly charged with the commission of the crime of murder, an act that contravenes chapter 14, subchapter “A”, section 14.1 of the new Penal Law of Liberia and sent to court.
Complainant Dolo told police that defendant Emmanuel SocrateGboe had lived with the victim for about 25 years in the relationship. The defendant and the victim including their children live together away from the victim’s parents in GbarpaTown.
The police charge sheet details that during its preliminary investigation, defendant Emmanuel Socrate Gboe freely admitted to the allegation levied against him. He told police investigators that he had been suspecting the deceased to be in love with a man from the United States of America and this US man allegedly sent money to her which she used to purchase clothes for her and her children but can’t do anything for him.
He also told the police that he kept it as malice and on 30 July while they were in bed asked his wife about how she got the money she didn’t say anything to him but sounded aggressive. Defendant Emmanuel Socrate Gboe also narrated that while in bed, he asked the victim (deceased) for sex but she refused, adding that he decided to kill her and escape.
According to the defendant, he ran into the bush with his single-barrel gun he has used over the years to hunt to shoot himself in the bush. He stated while hiding in the bush over the days he was hungry and went around seeking help in the route of their village a moment he was arrested by town people who later turned him over to the police.
