Zewdru, Grand Gedeh County – The Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Gedeh County has sentenced to 75 years Exodus Wamah for murdering two women in Ganta, Nimba County.
Report by Franklin Doloquee, Nimba County Contributor
Also sentenced alongside 38-year-old Wamah, was 34-year-old Justin Dolo, who got a 10-year sentence for accomplice in the crime.
Judge George Wiles handed down his ruling after the Jury found Wamah guilty for killing Madam Viola Thompson Richmond, who was an administrative officer for the National Social Security and Welfare Cooperation (NASSCROP) offices in Ganta City.
Murdered along with the late, 65-year-old Richmond was her 13-year-old ward, Annie Johnson. Both were murdered in cool blood and gruesomely in their home in the Peace Community in March, 2017. Their corpses were found four days later after police went to search Richmond’s home following a report from her supervisor that she had been absent from her job.
According to report, prior to the incident, killer Wamah had demanded more money from the deceased, who was allegedly his god-ma (girlfriend) in order for him to sponsor his wedding. He was planning to get marry to one Rita Wou, who, too was picked up by the police.
Ms. Richmond’s alleged refusal to provide more money for Wamah’s wedding, prompted him to kill her when she informed him that she couldn’t do such thing.
Handling down his judgment, the Resident Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Gedeh County, Judge Wiles disclosed that the legal proceedings in the case had originated in Ganta and were transferred to Zwedru.
Background
Col. James Cartoe, Chief Inspector of the CSD, Liberia National Police (LNP) in Nimba, had announced on a local radio that they arrested two persons and charged them with murder.
In the radio interview, he had disclosed the names of Exodus Wamah and Justin Dolo, residents of Sanniquellie.
According to police sources, a SIM card belonging to the late Richmond was found with Justin Dolo, who later admitted his involvement in the killing of the two women.
Cartoe further said that Wamah, Richmond’s ex-lover, killed the two women because Wamah felt that the US$4,000 Richmond gave him as a wedding gift was insufficient.
In addition to Richmond’s murder, several valuables were stolen from her home by Wamah and Dolo and those items, including an Apple computer, were taken to Wuo’s home.
The LNP had also revealed that the main doer was always in the habit of harassing the deceased for money, and call records show he had made the most number of calls to her the night she and her ward were murdered.
There was no sign of an intrusion into the house but after a 15-jury investigation, it was established that the deceased and her ward were murdered.
The little girl had her mouth tied and her head was buried in a drum filled with water, while Ms. Richmond was allegedly struck in the head.