Gbaken, Maryland County — Authorities in Maryland County have charged and forwarded five individuals to court for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing of a 77-year-old woman, Josephine Sieh, in Gbaken Town, Pleebo.
By: Peter P. Toe, Jr.
According to the Liberia National Police (LNP), the victim was accused of witchcraft by community members and summoned by the town authorities on August 8, 2025, for questioning. Reports say that a traditional healer, identified as Neh from Harper Rock Town, allegedly confirmed the accusations. Based on this, the woman was taken into custody by the youth of Gbaken.
The situation took a tragic turn when, on August 9, 2025, around 5:00 PM, the unconscious body of Madam Sieh was discovered under a cotton tree near Gbaken Town. She was later pronounced dead by medical practitioners on the scene.
The investigation, led by Chief Inspector Jimmie T. Kaydor, Deputy Chief Investigator for Maryland County, in collaboration with a 15-man coroner jury, confirmed that the victim had suffered visible bruises and scrapes on her body, although no body parts were reportedly removed.
Five suspects—Dougbo Newton (47), Friday Newton (35), Victor Brown (17), Augustine Karyee (23), and David Sieh (30)—all residents of Gbaken, were arrested and charged with Murder, Criminal Conspiracy, and Criminal Facilitation.
During police interrogation, the suspects confessed to severely beating the victim in the center of Gbaken Town around midnight and later dumping her body in a nearby bush.
The body has since been turned over to the family, while the suspects have been forwarded to court for prosecution as investigations continue.
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