ZWEDRU, Nov. 25 (LINA) – Domestic violence is seemingly surging in Grand Gedeh County, with the latest being a 33-year-old woman allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Stephen Blade, now charged with Murder despite continued investigation by the police.
Fellow tenants say they heard screaming from victim Patience Gaye on the night of last Wednesday, after she arrived home. This was a result of a scuffle that ensued between the two, they say.
However, the reason for the fight is yet unclear, as the police say their investigation into the matter has not ended. Notwithstanding, LINA has gathered that the deceased was beaten by her partner Blade at their Markville home.
The suspect, now remanded in police custody, is said to be an Ivorian national who has integrated into the Liberian society. He will be duly processed and forward to court for prosecution when the further investigation is completed, according to Victor Zean, head of the Crime Services Division of the police detachment.
“Last night, ‘Sarofina’ who was sleeping in the next room with me heard Patience shouting and crying, and Sarofina woke me up. When we got to their room, Patience was not there but she was in the next room where she ran for help,” house-mate Annie George narrated.
“Then we took her outside and the entire household came out, while the husband sat in their room looking angry. He came out later because of the plenty of questions we were asking him – he admitted that he flogged her and promised to help her to recover,” she added.
But as the victim’s condition swiftly deteriorated, neighbors rushed her to the Martha Tubman Hospital on a motorbike where she was pronounced “dead on arrival”.
Before his integration, suspect Blade lived in the PTP Refugee Camp on the outskirts of Zwedru for many years, according to persons close to him. They say he and the victim have four children.
Patience’s death is the second such misfortune as a result of domestic violence in about two months in the County. It can be recalled that a man, Melvin Teah, allegedly killed his girlfriend Florence Julu in Zwedru. The man had jumped the crime scene but, thankfully, he was eventually arrested in neighboring Cote d’Ivoire and has been extradited to Liberia and now in custody, pending trial.
