–Woman Demands Justice Following Her Son’s Mysterious Death
By: Adolphus Singbeh
GBARPOLU COUNTY, Liberia – A bereaved mother is crying foul over the death of her 19-year-old son, Prince Devine, whose body was recovered from a river on a commercial farm in Gbarpolu County, rejecting official claims that he died of a medical condition and demanding a full government investigation.
She told the reporter in an interview this week: “I am calling on Representative Mustapha Waritay, the Ministry of Justice, human rights groups, and the Gbarpolu County Caucus to ensure justice for me. My son was killed on that farm. Let the government investigate how Kebbeh Jahwolo entered that land to establish a farm.”
According to Madam Devine, her son, Prince, and his friends had been searching for contract work to raise money to buy jerseys for their football team when they were hired by Mr. Thomas Cooper, manager of Jahwolo’s farm. The group promised to complete the work within three weeks. After several days of labor, the farm’s CEO, Mrs. Kebbeh Jahwolo, reportedly promised to buy the team a set of jerseys, boots, and footballs.
Madam Devine said that one day before the work was to be completed, Mrs. Jahwolo instructed the young men that she wanted to take pictures with the workers. She said the men initially resisted but were convinced after Mrs. Jahwolo explained she needed to know their sizes.
On the final day of the contract, after work had concluded and the men were preparing to eat and return home, Prince Devine went missing. His friends and community members searched for him that night but found no trace. The following day, a search around the farm led to the discovery of his lifeless body in the river. Madam Devine alleged that the body bore bruises and that some parts were missing.
Her words: “On the last day, after work, while preparing to eat and return home, Prince Devine went missing. His friends and community members searched for him that night but could not find him. The next day, they decided to search around the farm, and that was how they found him lifeless in the river with bruises on his skin, while some parts of his body were allegedly missing.”
The mother said she received a phone call informing her that her son had drowned. “I received a call that my son got drowned in a river. I decided to leave from Montserrado to go there to confirm how he died. Before reaching there, I was informed that Commissioner Musa D. Kamara and the county authorities had examined the body of my son, Prince Devine. According to their findings, they concluded that my son died from hydrocele. Since my son was born, not one day did I observe him complaining about hydrocele.
A hydrocele is a condition involving swelling of the scrotum caused by fluid buildup, typically not fatal. However, Madam Devine said her son never experienced hydrocele. “Since my son was born, not one day did I observe him complaining about hydrocele,” she said. Madam Devine further alleged that authorities attempted to bury her son before she could arrive.
“They wanted to bury him, but I warned them not to do so until I arrived. However, the commissioner forced my father to sign for the body,” she said. When Madam Devine finally reached the location, she found her son’s body already decomposing. “I burned incense, but it could not help, so we buried him on May 3 at about 2:00 a.m.”
Commissioner Account:
Commissioner Musa D. Kamara provided a sharply different version of events. He said that on May 2, 2026, he received a report from Maboi Ward that a body had been discovered in the water. He said he immediately instructed residents not to approach the scene and contacted district security officers, who later arrived and secured the area.
According to Commissioner Kamara, a 15-man jury was organized to examine the body, and their findings showed that Prince Devine did not drown and that there was no foul play involved in his death. He stood by the conclusion that the young man died from hydrocele.
The commissioner further explained that Prince Devine’s grandfather and other relatives informed investigators that the deceased frequently complained of stomach pain every two months but had never sought medical treatment. He said family members, including the grandfather and aunts of the deceased, agreed with the findings and accepted that there was no foul play.
Commissioner Kamara denied allegations that family members were forced to sign for the body, maintaining that everyone involved was satisfied with the process. He also clarified that the farm owner, Mrs. Jahwolo, was not present during the investigation into Prince Devine’s death.
He additionally rejected claims that parts of the deceased’s body were missing, stating that the only marks observed on the body were scraping injuries believed to have occurred while the body was lying near the water. As of press time, this paper was unable to connect with Mr. Thomas Cooper, manager of Jahwolo’s farm and the farm’s CEO, Mrs. Kebbeh Jahwolo for comments.
Mysterious and unexplained deaths have been a recurring concern in Liberia. These events have sparked significant public fear, distrust in security apparatuses, and calls for independent investigations.
As of early 2026, the administration of President Joseph Boakai faces pressure to resolve cases inherited from previous years, including the deaths of government auditors.
In April 2025, a series of deaths in Ganta, Nimba County, included the discovery of a 45-year-old motorcyclist, Papie Darlor, with ropes tied around his body, raising suspicions of targeted killings. In January 2025, 19-year-old Yakpawolo Moisemai died in police custody in Voinjama, Lofa County. An autopsy reportedly suggested he was murdered.
The death of Anwar Futloo, a hotel manager in Monrovia, in late 2024 was ruled an ingestion of acid by authorities, a finding disputed by those calling for an independent investigation.
