GBARNGA, Bong – Bong’s Ninth Judicial Circuit Court on Thursday sentenced three siblings for killing Angeline Kolleh, 29, in Gbarnga in July this year.

Flomo Turburyei and Lovetee Turburyei were sentenced to life in prison while Washington Turburyei was sent to jail for eighteen years. He will spend fifteen years in jail and three on parole.

Angeline Kolleh, a rental occupant of the three convicts’ residence in Sugar Hill Community in Gbarnga, was reported missing on July 7 and her decomposed body found on August 7 in the same vicinity with several parts extracted.

Police later arrested two persons, Washington Turburyei and Junior Williams, in connection with Kolleh’s death.

According to the court’s ruling, even though Flomo and Lovetee denied their involvement in the murder, Washington Turburyei admitted throughout the trial that he and his siblings killed Angeline for ritualistic purposes.

“During the trial, Washington Turburyei told the court that he and his brother and sister killed Angeline Kolleh to use her body parts for [a ritualistic] purpose to get money in order to establish a business,” the ruling said.

In the verdict, Judge Roosevelt Willie noted that “after weeks of legal arguments, the court established that the three intentionally killed Angeline Kolleh.”

Meanwhile, Bong’s county attorney, E. Wilkins Nah, has welcomed the ruling in the case and reassured the Justice Ministry’s “unbending commitment” to dispensing justice in Liberia.

Ritualistic murders are nothing new to Liberia, although the killings usually peak around elections season as body parts are used in rituals aimed at giving political aspirants an edge.

Featured photo by Philip Singbah