-For Killing Journalist Tyrone Brown
By R. Joyclyn Wea
The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in Bomi County has sentenced Journalist Tyron Brown’s murderer to life imprisonment following Judge Nancy Sammy guilty verdict against defendant Jonathan Williams.
This follows a pre-sentence investigation conducted by the prohibition service of Montserrado County as mandated in the judge March 17, 2020 ruling that implicated defendant Williams to the killing of the late Super FM employee.
It can be recalled, rendering decision into the matter on March 17, 2020, Judge Sammy mandated the Probation Service of Montserrado County to conduct a pre-sentence investigation of Williams and submit the report with the clerk of that court before March 20, 2020, as a probation service has not been established in that part of the Country.
This aligned with section 31.5 (1) of the criminal procedural law, P. 402 which requires that a pre-sentence investigation be conducted as well as a sentence hearing prior to the imposition of sentence; and Montserrado County, being the County from whence this case emanated and the defendant also being a resident of the said Country, Judge Sammy sees it fit that the investigation be carryout in Montserrado.
The pre-sentence investigation uncovers the defendant conduct or behavior in the community which he lives prior to murdering the late Journalist in their Kingdom Care community on the Du-Port Road in Paynesville.
The investigative report allegedly found the late Brown’s killer to some malpractices in the area, an allegation he also denied.
According to Judge Sammy, there is no evidence proffered during the trial to establish existence aggravating circumstances enumerated in the instance case as such; Williams is sentence to life imprisonment consistent with section 51.3 (1) of the criminal procedural law.
Judge Sammy adjudged Jonathan Williams guilty for the death of the Journalist thus siding with prosecution on grounds of sufficiently proving its case of murder against Williams beyond reasonable doubt as required in section 14.1 of the penal law of Liberia P. 794, Title 26.
Two cardinal issues were considered by the Judge in determining the matter: whether or not the pleas of self-defense and temporary insanity are tenable to warrant the reduction of the crime of murder to manslaughter in this case, and whether or not the state established a prima facie evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to warrant the conviction of the Jonathan Williams on the charge of murder.
The Judge maintained that defendant Williams never informed the court that he told the police upon being arrested that he was temporarily insane during the events of the night of April 15, 2018, neither did he raise the issue when he testified during the trial, instead said issue was only raised for the first time by his legal counsel during final argument, which is two years after his arrest and incarceration.
She indicated that under the best evidence rule, it is required that “The best evidence which the case admits of must always be produced; that is, no evidence is sufficient which supposes the existence of better evidence, making specific reference to the civil procedural law, Rev. Code 1:25.6(1).”
This case dated as far back as June 5, 2018 in which defendants Jonathan William, Caesar Kennedy, Ernest Kermu, Alice Youti, Edwina Youti, Massa Kenndy and Joanna Bracewell were arrested and later indicted by the Grand Jurors for Montserrado County for allegedly committing the crimes of Murder and hindering law enforcement.
Defendants Williams is expected to be transferred to the Correction Palace in Grand Gedeh County to serve his sentence.
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