-As Her Alleged Murderer Gets Arrested in Sierra Leone
By Jessica Cox
MONROVIA Hope for justice has been renewed for the family of 19-year-old Dearest Paye following the arrest of Augustine T. Lender, the prime suspect in her killing, in neighboring Sierra Leone.
The arrest was confirmed Tuesday in an official statement issued by Montserrado County District #3 Representative Sumo Mulbah, who said the suspect was apprehended through a coordinated operation involving the Liberia National Police (LNP) Interpol Section and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sierra Leone Police.
“Augustine T. Lender, the suspect wanted for the tragic murder of Dearest Paye in the Omega Coal Field Community, has been arrested,” the lawmaker announced.
Representative Mulbah said the successful operation was the result of relentless collaboration between Liberian and Sierra Leonean security authorities.
“Our team worked tirelessly and without sleep alongside the Liberia National Police Interpol Section and the Sierra Leone Police Criminal Investigation Department to secure his capture in Sierra Leone,” he stated.
According to the statement, legal procedures to extradite Lender to Liberia are already underway to enable him face trial.
Mulbah also thanked law enforcement officers and members of the public whose support contributed to the suspect’s arrest.
The arrest comes after days of public outrage over the death of Dearest Paye, whose killing shocked residents of the Omega Coal Field Community and sparked widespread calls for justice.
Speaking after learning of the suspect’s arrest, Dearest’s grieving mother recalled the anguish of trying unsuccessfully to reach her daughter on the night she disappeared.
“I kept calling her phone, but it was switched off. I called throughout the night and again the following morning, but there was no answer,” she said.
The mother also alleged that her daughter had previously left the suspect’s residence following repeated disputes before later returning to collect personal belongings. authorities have yet to publicly comment on the family’s account of the events leading to the young woman’s death.
Addressing residents of District #3, Representative Mulbah pledged that the pursuit of justice would continue.
“To the people of District 3, Montserrado, touching a single soul from our district is like taking a part of me. We will always fight for your justice and safety,” he said.
As extradition proceedings continue, Liberians are now looking to the justice system to ensure the suspect is returned to face prosecution and that Dearest Paye’s family finally receives the justice they have long demanded.
