Court Grants Defense Independent autopsy -On Charloe Musu’s Corps

By Melvin Jackson

MONROVIA: The criminal court “A” Judge Roosevelt Willie has granted defense lawyers’ request to conduct an independent Autopsy on the remains of the late Charloe Musu. The late Charloe Musu, a graduating Senior Student of the Starz University was killed in cold blood after an unknown assassin attacked the home of her foster mother, former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott, who and others were indicted and have since been tried.

According to our judicial correspondent, the Court also gave the defense lawyers the right to do another crime scene investigation at the home of former chief justice Cllr Gloria Musu Scott, where the accident took place.

The court’s ruling was on a bill of information filed by lawyers representing former chief justice Scott and three of her relatives in the alleged murder case, in which they have also been charged with telling false statements to state security in a case before the court amongst others.

Criminal Court “A” Judge Willie, during yesterday’s [Tuesday] hearing at the court granted the defense lawyers’ Bill of Information”, but warned that it should be done accordingly.

He said the defense team is granted the right to visit the crime scene, but added that it will be done with a representative of the prosecution, the Liberia National Police, and the Court.

Judge Willie further stated that the visitation and the conduct of the autopsy should include the court, adding that the visitation should be done by Friday, September 15, 2023.

Commenting on the autopsy report, Judge Willie, said that if the doctor to conduct the medical autopsy will be flown into the country, they should meet all requirements as set forth by the Liberia Dental and Medical Board.

“The doctor should possess certificates concerning autopsy from a recognized medical institution, and the doctor should also have all requirements as may be necessary to enable him to conduct such an autopsy,” Judge Willie warned.

The criminal Court “A” Judge however ordered the government to reserve the body as long as the autopsy has not been conducted.

In their Bill of Information, the defense team prays for the court to grant them authority to conduct their autopsy on the body to provide them with information to defend their clients adequately.

They also stated that the conduct of the autopsy will give them information from a credible medical practitioner to examine the information that has been provided by the prosecution regarding the autopsy they reported to the court.

The autopsy granted by the court is the second to be performed on the body of the deceased.  The first was performed by Liberia’s leading pathologist, Dr.  Benedict Korlee.

In his autopsy report, Doctor Korlee said the late Charloe Musu was stabbed multiple times with an instrument believed to be a knife and other deadly weapons.

The Government of Liberia (GOL) through the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the LNP announcing the post-mortem examination on the remains of Charlie said the post-mortem examination was done in autopsies, and toxicology samples that were taken from the body of the 24-year-old for medical analysis to establish the actual cause of her death.

Accordingly, Police authorities in Monrovia have released what they tagged as a provisional autopsy report surrounding Charloe Musu’s brutal murder, blaming extensive bleeding caused by multiple stabbings.

The authorities indicated that it was witnessed by the deceased’s family members, human rights advocates, and law enforcement officers.

Dr. Benedict B. Kolee told the journalists that the autopsy carried out on the late Charloe’s remains revealed that she died of severe exsanguination or a massive loss of blood.

He also cited secondary to severe hemothorax chest trauma, which is associated with a collapse in the left lung, after excess blood clotting defects.

Dr. Kolee explained that the deceased suffered chest abdominal, intercostal artery, and massive left hemothoraces.

The late Charloe, daughter of Liberia’s former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, was gruesomely murdered when alleged armed criminals invaded their Brewerville residence on 22 February 2023.

The authorities have vowed to bring the alleged perpetrators of the murder of the deceased to justice, thereby accusing, arresting and indicting former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott and three of her family members and committing them to imprisonment pending the outcome of the trial.”

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