By Laurina B Lormia
A 53-year-old man, identified as Sam Brown, who went missing three months ago, has been discovered as a skeleton in a swamp in Kankan Town, Johnsonville.
It can be recalled that on December 17, 2024, the late Brown went missing from Kankan Town, Johnsonville, three days following his birth anniversary, family sources disclosed. The discovery of his skeletal remains left both his family and the community in profound shock.
According to the late Brown’s sister, Jenneh Brown, her brother had suffered a medical condition known as cerebrovascular accident(CVA) commonly known as a stroke. According to medical sources, a stroke is a brain attack that occurs when blood flow to the brain is suddenly interrupted. “Sam regularly exercised in the yard and around the community by walking in the morning. However, after going out to exercise, he was not seen in the evening,” Jenneh narrated.
She mentioned that, both the family and the community carried out an extensive search for her late brother as soon as he was noticed missing, but unfortunately, they found no trace of him.
She stated that, on Monday February 24, a group of boys who were working on someone’s parcel of land in the community informed her that they saw the skeleton and bones of her brother, with blood stains on the root of a tree, deep cutlass mark, his slippers and the same clothes.
“We didn’t detect any foul smell, all we knew was that my brother had gone missing, and we searched for him until now that we discovered this,” she shared.
“It is heartbreaking to discover my brother’s skeletal remains in the swamp, still dressed in his clothes and blue slippers. We are crushed because we had thoroughly searched the entire community, informed the Chairman, and filed a report with the local police office,” she explained.
However, the daughter of the deceased, Neejay Miller, expressed grief about the discovery of her dad’s skeleton after he had gone missing for a protractive period.
Neejay has pointed accusing fingers at unknown people who might have killed her father, stating “My father was murdered, and his body was thrown into the swamp. The stick with a deep cutlass mark on it was found near his slippers and the bones of his hands.”
She added that, her father was sick for over two years, but it is unfortunate that he died this way, with his skeleton being found and a huge cut on a stick where his slippers were discovered.
She, however, called on the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Justice, to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding her father’s death. “All we want is justice,” she emphasized, adding, “The way my father’s skeleton was found suggests he was killed.”
Meanwhile, Brown’s death has left families and residents in confusion, as many claimed they were unaware and did not notice any foul odor from a decomposing body. The skeleton has been buried in the community pending an investigation.
