BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa – Police in Grand Bassa have charged and sent to court two persons for allegedly killing a 43-year-old man in Buchanan.

Suspects Evelyn Diggs, age 40, and Robert Nyeswah, age 21, were charged with criminal facilitation and murder, respectively, in the death of Otis Scott.

According to the police charge sheet, Scott and his wife, Diggs, were involved in a conflict on Sunday, June 24 at about 2:00 p.m. at their home, which prompted their son, Robert Nyeswah (a stepson of the victim) to rush in and stab Scott at the back with a knife.

The victim was taken to the Liberian Government Hospital in Buchanan, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The police were contacted by a resident of the area, Trokon Vah, and upon their arrival on the scene, they retrieved the knife and arrested Nyeswah and his mother and charged them separately.

The police charge sheet did not detail what actually happened within the room that brought about Scott’s death, but those details will likely be established in court.

According to others who lived in the house, only the victim and the two suspects were at the house when the situation took place.

Scott’s remains were laid to rest on Saturday, June 30 in Buchanan, Grand Bassa as both mother and son were sent to court for prosecution.

They have been remanded at the Upper Buchanan prison compound as they await court trial, although a date has not yet been set.

Many Buchanan residents see the case as a test for James N. Gilayeneh, the assigned circuit judge at the Second Judicial Circuit Court, and the new county attorney. Residents have been calling on community radio station talk shows to recommend a speedy trial for the two suspects. Some said keeping such cases on the court docket for years could potentially breed conflict and undermine genuine peace and reconciliation.

Grand Bassa’s superintendent, Janjay Baikpeh, recently condemned what he called the frequent occurrence of crime in the county, as he said it could scare away investors.

“Bassa is not known for that, but hospitality,” he said. “This situation has the propensity to scare away people. People stabbing their friends and people killing their wives – people need to reconcile with each other, especially in their homes.”

In February this year, 39-year-old Mark Gblozeo was stabbed to death by Sabastine Reeves in Buchanan. In another case, an 80-year-old man choked his 60-year-old wife to death. Another man identified as Alphonso Smith also killed his twin babies and stabbed his wife in Grand Bassa’s first district.

Featured photo by Zeze Ballah