American Missionary Lucas jailed

Days after the Liberia National Police or LNP investigated Creekside Church Missionary, Lucas Richards, the Bushrod Island Stipendiary Associate Magistrate - John L. Griggs has sent to jailed Lucas for allegedly attempting to murder his lover- Jessica Llyod.

This incident occurred on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at about 4:00PM in the Palm Farm Community, Dixville, Montserrado. He was arrested and acquainted with his Constitutional rights, investigated and charged with the crime of Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder and Aggravated Assault in violation of Chapter 10; Section 10.1, Chapter 14 of the New Penal Law of Liberia

When the matter got the attention of the court after being forwarded from the Police, Associate Magistrate Griggs on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 issued a writ of arrest on Missionary Richard.

He ordered the clerk of court: “You are hereby commanded to arrest the living body of Lucas K. Richard to be identified, defendant and forthwith bring him before the Bushrod Island Magisterial Court, St. Paul Bridge, Bushrod Island, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia for the alleged commission of the crimes of, Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder and Aggravated Assault based upon the Oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia by and thru Jessica Lloyd, plaintiff in which it is substantially alleged.”

In a complaint filed on September 14, 2023 in the area of Palm Farm Community, Dixville, Defendant Richard with an intent, try to cause the death of the Jessica purposely, knowingly and intentionally.

The complaint states that he inflicted wound on the body of Jessica by hitting her head with a heavy or blunt object(knife), which caused her to go unconscious and further using a sharp object to slash the throat of her in an attempt to kill her, thus resulting her to bleed profusely.

According to Police Charge, victim Jessica and Lucas met at the Y. W. A. M. Bible Mission, on the Roberts Field Highway in 2022 along with her brother Jesse Llyod who also attended as students while the defendant was serving as a teacher. While attending the Mission as a student, victim Jessica and defendant Lucas got attached- Relationship and followed by a traditional wedding held at the Jessica Llyod family residence in Patience Shop Community, Dwahn Town, Barnersville.

Prior to the incident, defendant Lucas had been financially aiding victim Jessica Llyod and her family whenever he pays them a visit in or out of the Jessica family residence.

According to Jessica, she got impregnated after she and defendant Lucas visited some counties namely: Margibi, Nimba, Montserrado and Grand Cape Mount for Bible outreach for three months. But without her acknowledge, the defendant administered an injection on her and gave her some tablets to take. Surprisingly, the pregnancy removed in an abortion process.

On the day of the incident, defendant Lucas visited the home of Jessica and her family where he presented some goods he carried along with him. Later, he asked Jessica to accompany him out of her residence so that they could sit together and console her for the loss of her pregnancy hereby leaving Jessica brother with One Hundred Fifty United States Dollars (US$150.00) for upkeep ing the house.

When they left the home of Jessica, the defendant drove to Harbel Supermarket on the Japanese Freeway, Gardnerville and purchased some food stuffs before boarding the vehicle. After purchasing what they wanted, they onboard the vehicle. Jessica furthered that the defendant took the route leading towards Barnesville, Dixville Community using the main streets, adding that the defendant drove off the main street and entered Dixville Community where the victim realized that they were approaching a river bank. At that river bank, disadvantaged youths (Zogoes) went to the defendant for financial aid but defendant Lucas quickly got back into the vehicle and drove a little distance away and again he asked that they both disembarked said vehicle (white Land Cruiser Jeep).

She mentioned that when they got down the vehicle, Lucas pulled out a knife from a cage as he walked into the bush. Before then, when he pulled out the knife she got suspicious and he (defendant Lucas) said he was holding the knife because he was afraid of snakes. Therefore, if snakes attempt to bite him then he will attack said snake using the knife. With that, she followed him but she refused and told him "You know I am afraid, I will not come there". They furthered walked together opposite direction of said bush where he claimed to have seen an animal and wanted her come closer to him to see the animal but she did not follow him.

Right in that moment, they left and drove off on the main Street, running through Dixville and heading at Dixville Junction, Caldwell Township and while enroute, he asked Jessica Llyod for them to sit at a cemetery alongside to have a private time. She responded that she do not want to sit in said place because it was not comfortable.

Interestingly, they continued their journey until they reached within the vicinity of Early Memorial School alongside the Main Street, specifically Palm Farm, Dixville Community where defendant Lucas stopped the vehicle saying that one of the tires on the car had developed problem.

Police charged sheet emphasized that “In the quest of defendant Lucas Richard to inflict serious body wounds on victim Jessica Llyod and take away her life for reason/s best known to himself, he implored several tricks as mentioned above but took advantage of an opportunity when he placed victim Jessica Llyod under the pretense that one of the tires under the jeep did develop problem and at that junction he asked her to assist him by placing a vehicle wheel ring on one of the tires at the passengers' side of the vehicle and while she was doing same, defendant Lucas Richard seized the opportunity to struck her with and instrument at the back of her head and started to pull her in the grass very close to a water stationed in a drainage along the road side where the incident took place.”

Before the defendant could struck victim Jessica at the back of her head, witness Ernest Philip who lives behind the Early Memorial School, located Palm Farm Community, Dixville where the incident occurred and rescuer had left his house to get his grandmother clothes from a tailor within the same Community. He was standing alongside the main road, specifically the direction where the defendant vehicle was parked and was looking directly were they were positioned.

While there he saw defendant Lucas striking Jessica with an object which he could not easily identified due to his distance which was about 200 feet away from the scene. Being concern about how to what was happening,he hurriedly proceeded.

“While on his way, he picked up a reed stick which he held in his hands and before he got on the scene, he witnessed defendant Lucas pulling victim Jessica in the grass and was slashing a portion of victim Jessica Lloyd neck using a knife and at that point, witness Ernest Philip raised the stick he was holding at suspect Lucas Richard who also raised the knife that was in one of hands at witness Ernest thus leaving him (Ernest Philip) to alarm for assistance before some residents of said Community and by passers arrived to the scene where they met suspect Lucas Richard with the knife in his hand and victim Jessica Llyod bleeding profusely from her neck and at the back of her head.” The charge sheet explained.

While apprehending defendant Lucas, Ernest said Jessica said "Your leave him that my husband, he did not do anything to me, that something from the jeep that hit me". She then went on preventing the arrest of defendant Lucas Richard who hurriedly took seized of said opportunity to get into his vehicle with the knife

in his hand and fled the scene thus leaving witness Ernest Philip to have allegedly paid a motorcyclist Five United States Dollars (US$5.00) to help him for them to chase after suspect Lucas Richard.

Additionally, before chasing after defendant Lucas who flew the scene, witness Ernest held victim Jessica inother for her to not fall to the ground after waking up from the ground so that the blood pouring from her neck and the back of head could not run into her brain and at this point, some of the blood caught the t-shirt of witness

However, other motorcyclists riding on several motorbikes joined the pursuit until defendant Lucas was encountered around the Kanga building vicinity, Duala Bushrod Island approximately 20 to 25 minutes' drive from the scene (Palm Farm Community, Dixville) where the incident occurred. The ram behind him till they reached at Zone One Depot, located at within the St. Paul Bridge Community, Bushrod Island where they sought Police assistance.

Defendant Lucas will be spending his first night at the Monrovia Central Prison while await court proceedings.