Liberia: Jury Decides Scott’s Murder Case Today

The jury hearing the murder trial of former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott, Rebecca Youdeh, Alice Johnson, and Gertrude Newton is expected to decide the fates of the accused through a guilty or not-guilty verdict December 21.

The jurors’ deliberations will have wide latitude in deciding the truthfulness of the allegations against the former Chief Justice and her co-defendants, who are her family members.

The government testified that Scott and her co-defendants on the night of February 22, 2023, stabbed Charloe Musu in their home, which led to her death.

Cllr. Scott has said she and her co-defendants never stabbed Charloe to death, but it was an intruder into her residence that murdered her.

The jury’s decision in the trial — which involves a criminal one — may come down to who they believe more. 

When will deliberations begin?

Closing arguments are tentatively scheduled for Thursday, with an expectation that lawyers for both the defense and prosecution will finish their statements within a specific time to be mutually agreed by both parties.

Judge Roosevelt Willie is expected to read instructions on the law to the jury on Thursday, with deliberations to begin immediately afterward.

What will jurors decide?

Judge Willie instructed the fifteen jurors that the central claim pertains to “murder, criminal conspiracy, and making a false statement to law enforcement.”

The jurors will be asked to decide whether the prosecution has proven that Scott and her co-defendants committed murder. If they decide that Scott committed murder, they are expected to come down with a verdict of guilty. 

After that, each of the jurors will be asked separately whether the prosecution has proven that the defendants engaged in criminal conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement officers and murder.

The trial also involves a claim and counterclaims by pathologist, Dr. Matthau Okoye, who said Charloe’s murderer was a male, proven by his DNA testing. However, the prosecution’s pathologist, Dr. Benedict Kolee, contradicted Okoye’s scientific findings and said it was a female who committed the murder. But Kolee also said that he did not personally conduct the forensic examination on the body of the deceased, but drew his findings from police sources.

What is at stake?

If a jury agrees that the prosecution has proven their claims of murder, they can bring down a guilty verdict. Thereafter, the defendants will go back to jail as a result of the verdict, to wait for their prison sentence to be delivered by Judge Willie.

This will only happen if the prosecution is able to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

To prove the murder claim, the prosecution is required to prove their allegations by clear and convincing evidence.