Monrovia – Professor Sumo Harris may have died of homicide while the car accident is being used as a cover-up, a private investigator hired by his family observed during an independent crime scene and post mortem investigation.
Report by Lennart Dodoo – [email protected]
Prof. Harris was the vice president for student affairs, at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University (AMEZU). He died on April 4, 2017 in what was believed to be a car accident along the SKD Boulevard.
Being discontented with investigation conducted by the Liberia National Police (LNP) which pointed to car accident as the cause of death, the family hired a private investigator to ascertain the circumstances leading to his death.
Investigator Sizi M Kawalawu in his report, a copy of which FrontPageAfrica has attained, insinuated that the LNP failed to conduct basic Police accident investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
According to his report, the Police failed to measure the distance the car travelled before going off the road and into the water.
The report noted that the Police further failed to take photograph of the scene, diagram of the accident, conduct interviews with witnesses to assist in building up an overall picture of what led to the crash, though the Chief of Public Safety, Mickey Gray was present on the scene.
When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for press and public affairs, Sam Collins, told FPA that though he was not aware of the outcome of the initial LNP investigation, he was informed by Gray that the family suspected foul play and has therefore called for another investigation by the LNP.
Collins told FrontPageAfrica he was not aware of how far the new investigation had gone and was also not aware of the private investigation conducted by the family.
The Private Investigation Findings
On April 4, 2017 at approximately 10:30pm, Mr. Harris received a phone call and informed his children at home that he was going to meet up with a friend. He, accordingly, instructed his son to lock all the doors. He also told them he will return shortly after meeting his friend.
According to the report, Prof. Harris left his house approximately 10:30pm or 11:00pm wearing a white short, white money gram T-shirt, blue and gray dress shirt, black slipper, a head cap, his regular reading glasses and cell phone.
Mr. Harris did not return home on Tuesday night. The family was informed the next morning that he was found dead due to a car accident on SKD Boulevard, the report disclosed.
Family members arrived on the scene and saw the body of Mr. Sumo Harris lying on the ground next to the swamp water while the Police focus was on retrieving the car from the water instead of the body.
Mr. Harris body was found without his head cap, reading glasses and cell phone. Concerned about the missing items, the family suspicion grew and they decided to search the accident scene on April 5, 2017, a day following the accident.
While searching the accident scene, they discovered the reading glasses, head cap and under shirt buried 50ft away from where the accident took place.
According to the report, the LNP was contacted about the discovery and nothing was done about it.
The family immediately contacted the funeral home to have the body examined and photographed.
Post Mortem Examination
Photographs of the remains taken at the funeral home which cannot be displayed by this paper showed illustrated findings which the investigator believes are consistent with assault to torture that could be the cause of death.
“It appears the car accident scene was used as a cover -up for this homicide,” the report indicated.
On the remains there was an open Pneumothorax: referred to as open stab wound to the chest – penetrating chest trauma.
The small saphenous vein was cut off on heels, causing the body to bleed to death. This is consistence with torture/ assault to cause death, the report indicated.
Another observation was a blunt force trauma to the left stomach believed to be caused by being struck by a firm object such as a fist, crowbar, bat or heavy object
The investigation also found out that Prof. Harris’ cellphone could not be found. The family has, therefore, sought subpoena from the court to get his call records from LonestarCell/MTN and Cellcom GSM for calls leading up to his death.
The Family’s Uncertainty
The family wondered by the Police refused to open an active homicide investigation into the death at though the Police Chief of Public Safe Mickey Gray was on the scene.
The Credentials of the Investigator
The report was completed by Sizi M. Kawalawu, MA, CFE, CPP, CHI, PI. He holds Master’s Degree of Science Criminal and Homicide Investigation, Bachelor of Arts Criminal Justice/Law enforcement.
He is a graduate of Alex Tech Law Enforcement Academy with over 750 hours of criminal investigation and Police work.
He is also a graduate of the FBI LEEDA Academy, a Certified Peace officer in the state of Minnesota and has held multiple law enforcement positions with the State government, Federal government, and at the County level.