MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The mother of the late Odell Sherman, a former 12th-grade student of the Harriet Bailey United Methodist School in Duazon, Margibi County, who died mysteriously on June 21, 2019, is accusing Rev. Emmanuel Jutonue Giddings, the clergyman in whose compound Odell Sherman was found lying unconscious, of threatening to kill her, three years after the sad incident.
Madam Cynthia Sherman, currently in hiding, claims to have received calls from Rev. Emmanuel J. Giddings threatening her life due to her vocal advocacy for justice for her daughter. She believes Odell Sherman was gruesomely murdered and gang-raped by Rev. Giddings, without receiving fair judgment.
She said Rev. Giddings had been sending unknown men to her residence, forcing her to move from one location to another, fearing for her life. The fear has driven her out of Liberia to an unknown destination, seeking restorative justice for her daughter’s death.
In 2019, the police investigation through the Ministry of Justice, with the conduct of an autopsy, claimed that Odell Sherman died a natural death. The autopsy report stated that the 21-year-old student died from “Blunt Force Trauma of the Head,” a result Madam Sherman and her family deemed unacceptable, leading to protests in the country by student groups, human rights organizations, and women’s groups.
Rev. Emmanuel Jutonue Giddings, who was questioned regarding the student’s death as she was last seen in his compound before being taken to the ELWA hospital where she was pronounced dead, has since been released after the investigation concluded.
However, Cynthia Sherman and some members of the Sherman family remain unsatisfied with the autopsy report and the investigation, calling it fraudulent. Madam Sherman has continuously advocated for justice in her daughter’s death, and the recent death of another girl identified as Princess Cooper has reignited her calls for justice.
According to Madam Cynthia Sherman, the threats on her life from Rev. Emmanuel Jutonue Giddings have forced her out of the country, leaving behind her family, church, business, school, friends, and loved ones. She has vowed to seek justice for her daughter, despite the challenges she faces.
Rev. Emmanuel Jutonue Giddings has denied all allegations of death threats toward Madam Cynthia Sherman, calling them fraudulent attempts to damage his character. He maintains that he had no contact with Madam Sherman and had never seen her in person before the incident.
He describes Odell Sherman’s death as a tragedy and an accident, stating that she fell from the second floor of his building and was still alive when he found her and took her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Rev. Giddings denies any involvement in Odell Sherman’s death and is willing to undergo any fair, independent investigation to clear his name.
