TUBMANBURG, Bomi – One of the defense lawyers representing the convicted murderer of Super FM journalist Tyron Brown has vowed to appeal the conviction and sentencing of his client at the Supreme Court.

On March 17, Judge Nancy Sammy sentenced Jonathan Williams to life imprisonment at the 11^th Judicial Circuit Court in Bomi.

Williams’ lawyer, Lawrence Tomah, described the decision taken by the lower court as erroneous and reversible. He said the judgment was solely based on political influence and sentiments. For that reason, he would appeal the decision.

Tomah said he wants the Supreme Court to make the final determination into the matter.

“Judge Nancy Sammy’s action was sentimental and it is a pure murdering of our legal jurisprudence,” he added.

Judge Sammy clarified her sentencing decision, noting that the sentence of life imprisonment is applied when the defendant is found guilty of any crime which is subject to the sentence of death.

However, a pre-sentencing investigation report from the Ministry of Justice noted that the defendant had no criminal record, even though he criminally, purposely, willfully, and intentionally committed the crime.

Jonathan Williams, meanwhile, has apologized to the family of Tyron Brown. However, he stressed that the act was not intentional.

“I am sorry for taking away the life of another person,” he said. “I am sorry; I never knew that this could bring me this far.”

Williams had admitted to stabbing the journalist while in a tussle in an incident he described as self-defense.

Brown was murdered on April 15, 2018 in a case that initially sparked concerns over the safety of journalists in the country. As investigations proceeded, it became apparent that there was no link between Brown’s murder and his work.

The trial, which started on February 23, 2020, saw Williams’ legal team rejecting a juror’s trial in an effort to get a fairer trial.

Featured photo courtesy of the Supreme Court of Liberia