Liberia: Woman Kills Husband in Pastis Fight

24 December 2024

Margibi — A 63-year-old woman known as Esther Jenteh (Yatta) has reportedly killed her husband in Margibi County during a brutal fight over a strong alcoholic drink called pastis.

The victim, Amos Toleh (Keney), is believed to be in the same age group as Esther, who went unconscious for a while before he died.

The accused is said to have bit victim Toleh's right arm and pushed him during the fight, which took place in their yard in Gaylayla, Borlorla Township.

During the fight, Toleh was said to have bitten the accused, and two of them had already taken several glasses of alcohol.

Victim's lifeless body

Our investigation gathered the victim was hungry when they drank the pastis before the fight.

Pastis is also a potent drink that is sometimes diluted with water before drinking to lessen the alcohol content.

Esther Jenteh has told police investigators that Toleh felt cheated in sharing the alcohol and got angry with her.

At that moment, she added that Toleh attacked her and she bit him and pushed him in return.

She said she didn't know that he would have died in no time.

She told the police that it was not her intention to kill her husband. She has since been charged with manslaughter and sent to court awaiting trial.

A corona jury team, according to the police, was set up to check the body, and it was found that the man was bitten on his right arm.

The jury has pronounced him dead. A nurse who is an officer in charge of a clinic in the region also checked and confirmed the death of Mr. Toleh, the police added. The police have called on the family to take delivery of the body for burial.

However, the police said the family appears not to be ready to take the responsibility for burial.

Contrary to Esther's explanation, it is also reported that she allegedly knocked the man on his neck with a stake.

Another report said the woman held and pressed the man's private parts while they were fighting. It allegedly caused the victim's death.

Someone in the town remarked that the man consistently embarrassed the woman until they fought. Some sources say she started the fight against the man.

In a related development, family members and friends of the victim from the Barclay farm area along the Kakata-Weala highway have angrily moved to Gaylayla town, threatening revenge over Amos Toleh's death.

But police intervened and controlled the situation on the night of the incident.

Despite police intervention, the angry family and friends staged an attack against the town on Monday, December 23, 2024. Again, the police swiftly responded and restored calm. A house belonging to Satta, the elder sister of Yatta, got damaged in the process.

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