By Melvin Jackson
MONROVIA: The Liberia National Police has concluded investigation of the Unity Party Car Murder Case, charged and forwarded to court suspect, Lawrence K. Williams for trial. Suspect Williams, 31, who was Arrested on November 21, 2023 after he ran into jubilant supporters and sympathizers of the Unity Party on Broad Street, is expected to answer to the crime of murder.
Police Charge Sheet said defendant Williams’ actions intentionally caused the death of three victims to include Peter Gray, Mariama Kromah, and Varney Sulieman with at least twenty four others in critical conditions at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Sinkor Monrovia. .
The police investigators indicated that defendant Lawrence Williams, a militant of the ruling CDC, deliberately drove an unmarked Gray Hyundai SUV with its headlights off and front passenger door open. The Police recalled that on November 20, partisan and sympathizers of the Unity Party were jubilating the victory of the results of the runoff elections by NEC at the Headquarters of the Party on Broad Street when the accident occurred.
Defendant Williams, according to police investigation, without remorse drove through the crowd from Up town Garage, a local auto repair and maintenance company, and later stopped the vehicle on Randall by Broad Streets where he disembark the vehicle and boarded a motorbike that took him directly to his resident in Du-port Road, Paynesville.
Police investigation also established that Defendant Williams is a staunch supporter of the coalition for Democratic Change and is a member of the militant brigade, saying that the alleged murderer claimed to be a pastor and a professional accountant. He also identified himself to Police investigation also that he is an assistant manager of the Miracon Enterprise which includes other businesses in the GSA Road Community.
The Police Charged Sheet further revealed that in the days prior to the final pronouncement of the runoff presidential elections by NEC, Defendant Lawrence K. Williams was regularly within the vicinity of the Unity Party Headquarters, specifically around the Ducor Community where he regularly visited a female colleague of the CDC identified as Pinky and one Solomon Q, Francis of the CDC.
The Charge Sheet also stated, “That on the afternoon of 20th November 2023, defendant Lawrence K. Williams who had inconsistently informed his fiancée by the name of Miracle Cummings that he was called by his head pastor Apostle Patrice S. Kenzcer that he had to deliver some printing materials, left his fiancée and went to the Faith Liberation Worship Center situated opposite the Lott Carey Mission School in Brewerville, where he went to transport some speakers.”
The police said that defendant Williams could not convince the investigation of the malfunction of the automatic gear of the vehicle which he claimed was the cause of the carnage. The police quoted section 9.1 of the vehicle and traffic law which states “In a case of accident involving death or serious bodily injuries the driver should immediately report him or herself to the nearest police station which defendant Lawrence failed to do.
The above actions on the part of Defendant Lawrence William leaves the investigation with the conviction that there was indeed a motive, especially of monetary and psychological benefits, which he must have received from an unidentified source he have selected not to disclose, that led to him, Defendant Lawrence, executing said carnage on the innocent partisans and sympathizers who were jubilating on the night of November 20.
The Police further said that the action of Defendant Williams was intentional and of total indifference to the value of human lives.
At the same time the police have charge defendant Lawrence Williams with the crime murder, aggravated assault , and recklessly endangering another person which is in violation of chapter 14, section 14.1 , 14.20 and 14.23 of the revised penal law of Liberia pending court trial as he spend his first night at the Monrovia central prison.
Meanwhile, the Monrovia City has commanded Captain Charles Bloyuefloh, Magistrate Police or His Deputy to Arrest the living body of Lawrence K. Williams, to be identified and forthwith bring him before the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice Building, Montserrado County to answer to the Charges of Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Recklessly Endangering of another Person’s.
In a Writ of Arrest issued on November 25 by the Court signed by the Assistant Clerk of the Court Daniel McGill Clerk, the court says “Based upon the oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia by and thru the Ministry of Justice, Prosecutor,” the State alleged that Defendant Lawrence K. Williams on the 20th day of November, A.D 2023 at about 10:00 PM, criminally, intentionally and with malice aforethought, unremorsefully drove an unmarked grey Hyundai SUV vehicle through a jubilant crowd of that gathered at the Unity Party Headquarters from the direction of the Up Town Garage.
The Writ explained that indiscriminately with terrific speed through the overwhelming jubilant crowd that gathered at the front of the Unity Party Headwaters, the defendant Lawrence Williams drove the vehicle from up snapper Hill on Broad Street with headlights off and the front passenger door opened.
The writ further explained that he allegedly did this while partisans and sympathizers of the Unity Party were jubilating over the victory of the Runoff Elections for the President and Vice President at the Unity Party Headquarters on Broad Street and between Nelson and Robert Streets in the City of Monrovia, Montserrado County.
The act allegedly perpetrated by defendant Lawrence, according to the Writ of Arrest, created a serious carnage which resulted into the injuries of about twenty-seven persons, and the damage of assorted properties, saying that the vehicle in question stopped down Randall and Broad Street intersection, in front of the Palm Hotel building.
“The massacre also noticed three of the twenty-seven persons succumbing to their injuries while undergoing medical attention at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the JFK Hospital, thereby causing the death of three persons on the scene, namely, Peter Gray, Mariama Kromah, and Varney Sulieman, and critically injuring about twenty-four others, both males and females.”
This alleged act by the defendant, the writ narrated, being unlawful, wickedly, illegal and intentional is in violation of Chapter 14; Section 14.1, 14.20 and 14. 23 of the Revised Penal Code of the Republic of Liberia, there and then the crimes herein defendant do and commit, which has prompted the writ of arrest issued by the court.
“Contrary to the form, force and effect to the statutory laws of Liberia in such cases made and proven against the peace and dignity for this republic, and for so doing,” the writ added, and concluded that for so doing “this shall constitute your legal and sufficient authority and have you there this writ of arrest.
It can be recalled that an unmarked vehicle ran through a crowd of partisans of the Unity Party who had converged at the Party Headquarters on Broad Street while celebrating the victory of President-elect Boakai Joseph N. Boakai.
At least three persons were said to have died and 28 others taken to hospital after the vehicle rammed into the supporters of President-elect Joseph Boakai, according to reports.
The police initially described the incident as an “accident”, but executives of the Unity Party referred to it as an “act of domestic terrorism”. The incident came shortly after the country was engulfed by jubilations and excitement amongst partisans of President-elect Boakai for his victory over the incumbent President George Manneh Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) who called for Unity in his concession speech.
However, Police said they have arrested the driver of the vehicle which ran through the crowd on that fateful Monday evening when Mr. Boakai’s supporters were celebrating the official announcement by the electoral governing body declaring the Unity Party Presidential Candidate the winner of the election.
Eyewitnesses told the Liberian journalists that they initially thought the incident was caused by a brake failure, but the driver’s sudden take-off to flee the scene generated suspicions of a planned attack.
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