MONROVIA, Montserrado – The parents of the two children found dead in the VOA community on Robertsfield Highway on Dec. 3 have rejected a recent investigation report released by the Liberia National Police.
Four-year-old Alvin Moses and 7-year-old Ruben Paye were discovered dead in a vehicle belonging to their neighbor, Henry O. Nnadi, previously identified as “O-Jay,” a day after they had gone missing.
According to the police report, the death of the two children was accidental, and there was no evidence to link Nnadi to their death.
The report revealed that the locks of the vehicle in which the children were found were all damaged and not in use. It, therefore, concluded that the children died as a result of suffocation due to heat.
“The Liberia National Police has therefore resolved that the children died from asphyxiation due to the lack of oxygen in the said vehicle which had its window glasses sealed up,†the report read.
Phone calls to Police Spokesperson Sam Collins to clarify the report were not answered. There were crucial questions left unanswered. Police did not indicate whether there were damages to the vehicle that showed the children struggled to exit the vehicle or how they proved all the locks were damaged.
Additionally, the report did not provide clear details on how the children entered a vehicle that had dysfunctional locks but were suddenly locked inside. Adding to the lack of clarity is the fact that the police does not maintain a website and does not usually release the texts of such reports, but rather has a spokesperson to read it over the radio.
Victor Moses, the father of the late Alvin, has expressed dissatisfaction with the report. He said the report was not credible. He also accused senior members of the Liberia National Police of continuously intimidating them and showing prejudice before the report was released.
In a conversation with The Bush Chicken on Monday, Moses said he is demanding an autopsy to be conducted on the bodies of the two children.
He made his way to see the bodies of the two children at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital. On the bodies, he said he observed cuts, thick blood in the mouths and their eyes tightly sealed. These conditions and the consistent refusal of investigators to involve them in the investigation of their children’s death gave him reason to believe the children were killed.
He told The Bush Chicken that the conditions of the children did not convince him to think that the kids died from suffocation. He said the bruises and cuts on the bodies of the boys created suspicion of foul play.
Alvin’s mother, Alice Moses, also said she suspected that the boys were tempered with and rejected the report.
“People who saw the body say the condition of the bodies of the boys does not indicate that they died from heat,†she said.
Marconi Joe, mother of Reuben Paye. Photo: Gbatemah Senah
Ruben’s mother, Marconi Joe, said she does not trust the report because the police did not regard them as parents during their investigation. According to her, though the police did not allow them access to their children, eyewitnesses have revealed that there were blood stains and bruises on the body of the children.
She wondered why the police refused to directly involve them in the investigation or give them access to their children.
“Why must they be so wicked to their fellow Liberians,†she said.
At the same time, the report disclosed that persons have been charged and sent to court in connection with the violence that led to the destruction of Nnadi’s house and vehicles. The suspects include Augustine Gbarpue, the father of the late Ruben Paye. Lassana Kanneh, Dubon Logan, Emmanuel Diggs, Michael Horace, Emmanuel Diggs and Eric Karty also suspects awaiting court trial.
Featured photo by Jefferson Krua
