MOUNT BARCLAY -- Police have launched an investigation into the mysterious killing of 41-year-old Augustine Nyaweh, whose decomposed body was discovered buried in a swamp near his home in the City View Community (formerly Whiteman Hill), Montserrado County.
Nyaweh's body was uncovered on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, more than a month after he went missing on September 5, raising fears of a possible mob killing and cover-up.
Body Found Weeks After Disappearance
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Family members told reporters that community dwellers stumbled upon the shallow grave just a few yards from Nyaweh's residence. Parts of his body were exposed, suggesting an attempt to conceal the crime.
The discovery ended weeks of anguish for relatives who had searched in vain for him since early September.
Neighbor Recalls Morning of Disappearance
A neighbor identified only as Marthaline recounted hearing a commotion around 5 a.m. the day before Nyaweh vanished.
"I heard people shouting 'rough!'--the alarm we raise when a criminal is spotted," she said. "Augustine ran out to help catch the person. He locked his room and placed his keys over the door before leaving."
The next morning, she said, rumors spread that a suspected thief had been mobbed to death, though she never saw the body.
"It might have been he went to help grab the criminal and someone did something to him," she added.
Family members later said Marthaline abruptly left the neighborhood, describing it as unsafe--a move that has drawn suspicion.
Community Chairman Denies Wrongdoing
Community Chairman Moses P. Kollie confirmed he learned of Nyaweh's disappearance from the property owner whom the victim served as caretaker. He denied delaying a police report.
"I only heard from the oldma later," Kollie told investigators. "What shocked me was that nobody informed me earlier--someone from outside had to tell me."
Kollie described the victim as peaceful and law-abiding. "He wasn't involved in any criminal activity since I got to know him. Everybody loved him," he said, insisting this was the first such incident under his leadership since 2022.
Eyewitness Heard Victim's Voice Before Death
Another resident, Marron Viah, told reporters she heard Augustine's voice the morning of the attack, directing others chasing a suspect.
"I heard him say, 'Pass the other side so the criminal won't run through the cassava patch,"' she said. Ironically, Nyaweh's remains were later found in the swamp directly behind her house.
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The victim's brother, Lawrence Vaye, believes the killing was premeditated.
"The community chairman kept saying they didn't kill anyone," Vaye said. "But the body was found right here. We believe they're hiding the truth."
Police Investigation Ongoing
Some residents suspect Nyaweh was mistakenly identified as a thief and lynched before his body was secretly buried.
"This is the third mysterious death here," one resident claimed, contradicting Chairman Kollie's assertion that it was the first under his tenure.
Police investigators, accompanied by Montserrado County Coroner Abraham Ricks, examined the body and ordered its reburial. Three people, including the community chairman, are being questioned as authorities intensify their probe into what has become one of Mount Barclay's most disturbing murder mysteries.
