The arrest and subsequent imprisonment of an American national, Lucas Robert who claimed to be a missionary in Liberia by the Liberia National Police on allegations of criminal attempt to commit murder and aggravated assault pondered for his alleged criminal action.
Our staff who witnessed his prosecution at the Bushrod Island Magisterial Court where he was subsequently sentenced at the Monrovia Central Prison, wondered as to his actual reputation which he portrayed as a Missionary on assignment in Liberia received more questions than answers for his recent role to allegedly murder a young Liberian lady in old blood.
His recent action ponder many Liberians and foreign residents who are questioning his role as a missionary; such position which has been defined as a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education among other. With this definition, Richard action seems to proved to the contrary, with many describing his assignment as a Mercenary and not a missionary.
Jessica survived the ordeal and is now telling her side of the story – which Richard denies, saying that Lloyd was simply hit by a motorcycle after she insisted on getting a ride home herself. Initial reports from the country said that Lloyd was keeping her silence, but authorities managed to coax the story out of her.
Following Richard’s arrest, the Creekside Church that he was affiliated with made a statement that “Lucas is not a member of Creekside, but of a church in Liberia which he founded consisting of its own board of elders and accountability structure… an eyewitness from Liberia [said] that Lucas had in fact entered into a 2nd marriage with Jessica, which neither we nor his wife had any prior knowledge of.”
In his statement to the police, Richard said that the victim had asked him for $150 to buy food at the local supermarket. After shopping, he dropped her along the roadside so she could catch a motorbike that would take her back home. “From there, we decided that I could drop her. She will get a motorbike while standing on the road. I saw a motorbike come from nowhere and hit her,” he said.
The victim vehemently denies this story and claims that her husband she “traditionally wedded” had attempted to kill her with a knife. Richard, a Missionary of the Creekside Church, moved to Liberia with his American wife an unknown period of time ago. Lloyd was attending the mission where Richard worked. He told her that his “wife was old” and he wanted to marry Lloyd, as a second wife. Polygamous marriages account for a third of all marriages in Liberia, according to reports.
After Richard proposed marriage, Lloyd got permission from her parents to go ahead, and the two officially began their relationship. “My daughter confided in me, and I suggested that we meet this man. She informed me that he was already married to an older woman. A week later, both of them came, and we held a traditional wedding ceremony.”
In a press statement dated September 16, 2023, the Liberia National Police said on Thursday, September 14 at the hour of 3 pm, it was alleged that suspect Richards drove the victim, Jessica Lloyd, around Dixville, Caldwell, where he attacked and injured her, leaving her with lacerations on her neck, back, head and fingers.
“Victim Lloyd is currently undergoing treatment at the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital, while suspect Richards is detained at the headquarters of the LNP,” the statement read.
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