MONROVIA – The case involving the American national who attempted to harm his Liberian wife is set for a hearing on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at 10:00 AM.
By Massah Kanneh-Telleh, Contributor
Defendant Lucas Richard was arrested in September 2023 after trying to escape following an attempt to harm his Liberian wife, Jessica Loyld, in the Dixville Community, Monrovia, Liberia.
Defendant Richard was charged with the crimes of criminal attempt to commit murder and aggravated assault, and later indicted by the grand jury.
In October, lawyers representing Defendant Richard filed a motion to Criminal Court A, requesting that he be granted bail.
The motion was granted by Court A Judge Roosevelt Willie, but with several conditions. Judge Willie demanded that Defendant Richard be placed on travel restriction, with all of his travel documents turned over to the court, and be required to sign in at the Sheriff’s Office three times a week.
Since October, Defendant Richard has been abiding by the court’s orders.
Initially, when Defendant’s lawyer filed for the motion for bail, prosecutors opposed it, expressing concerns that he might flee.
Upon hearing the motion, the judge imposed measures to ensure the defendant’s compliance and emphasized that the crimes levied against him were all bailable.
Before being brought to court, Victim Loyld’s twin brother gave several interviews, indicating that his sister and her American husband had met nearly a year ago when he came as an evangelist to their school.
According to him, Defendant Richard used to visit their school in the Baptist Seminary as a guest lecturer, where he met his sister and fell in love with her.
He explained that Defendant Richard established contact with their family and expressed his desire to marry Jessica, stating that he was a Christian and did not want to commit any fornication.
The family found this request appropriate and granted it based on the defendant’s portrayal of himself.
However, the twin brother mentioned that Defendant Richard had lied about being married before, claiming that Jessica was his first wife.
He further explained that as the time approached for Defendant Richard to return to his country, he clandestinely took his sister’s phone and deleted all the traditional marriage photos they had.
In September, Defendant Richard went to Jessica, who was already at her mother’s place at his request, stating that he did not want his wife to feel lonely after he had left Liberia.
The twin brother told journalists that a few weeks before their outing, Defendant Richard had knowingly given Jessica some medications that terminated her early pregnancy.
On the day of the incident in September 2023, Defendant Richard and Jessica left her mother’s house to have fun, unaware of his sinister motives.
During their journey, Defendant Richard claimed he needed to urinate and asked Jessica to accompany him to a nearby bush. When they stopped the car, he took out a knife, claiming he was afraid of snakes.
As they walked towards the bush, Jessica hesitated and stuck close behind him, which prevented him from carrying out his intentions. They returned to the car and continued their journey.
A few miles away, Defendant Richard asked Jessica to walk with him to a graveyard, stating it was a common practice in their country. Jessica, however, expressed fear and declined.
Claiming a flat tire, Defendant Richard asked Jessica to help him unscrew it. While she was assisting him, he allegedly struck her on the head with a metal object.
Jessica recounted feeling something behind her head and being dragged, but she couldn’t comprehend what was happening. Motorcyclists came to her rescue and took her home while her throat was partially slashed.
