Liberia’s Ex-chief justice sentenced to life for murder

Summary:

• Liberia’s former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu Scott, and three family members were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Ms. Scott’s niece, Charlotte Musu. The incident occurred in 2022, with Ms. Scott initially claiming intruders were responsible. After a five-month trial, a Monrovia court found them guilty of murder, conspiracy, and falsely alerting law enforcement. Despite maintaining innocence, the court sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Liberia’s ex-Chief Justice, Gloria Musu Scott, along with three family members, has been handed a life sentence for their involvement in the murder of Charlotte Musu, reportedly Ms. Scott’s niece. The incident occurred in February of last year, when Charlotte was killed by unknown assailants at Ms. Scott’s residence in Brewerville, northwest Liberia. Initially, Ms. Scott claimed that intruders had attacked her home, resulting in her niece’s death.

However, after a five-month trial, a Monrovia court last month declared Ms. Scott and the three family members guilty of Charlotte’s murder. Additionally, they were convicted of conspiracy and falsely alerting law enforcement. Throughout the proceedings, the accused consistently professed their innocence, pleading not guilty to the charges.

Despite maintaining their innocence, the court, on Tuesday, deemed the prosecution’s evidence compelling and sentenced all four women to life imprisonment. It is noteworthy that Liberia abolished the death penalty in July of the previous year. Responding to the verdict, Ms. Scott’s legal team announced their intention to appeal the judgment. Gloria Musu Scott had previously served as Liberia’s Chief Justice from 1997 to 2003.