MONROVIA – The First Judicial Circuit Court for Montserrado County, Criminal Assizes “B,” on Monday, September 22, 2025, sentenced Bill Jallah to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Princess Zoe Wesseh. The verdict comes after a high-profile trial that gripped the nation.
Presiding over the case, Judge Wesseh Alphonsus Wesseh, Sr., found that Jallah carried out a deliberate and premeditated attack, stabbing the victim multiple times and causing her death. Court records indicate that Jallah concealed a deadly weapon under his sleeve, ambushed Wesseh, and inflicted fatal wounds while she was defenseless.
In delivering the judgment, Judge Wesseh rejected Jallah’s plea of confusion, stating that such a defense “should have no room in a civilized society.” The court noted that the defendant’s actions demonstrated clear malice, premeditation, and intent to kill. Testimonies from state witnesses were described as “corroborative beyond reasonable doubt,” providing compelling evidence of the crime.
The court referenced landmark legal precedents, including Toopoh v. Republic (1970), to illustrate that the conduct of the accused and surrounding circumstances may establish malice and deliberation. Additionally, Francis Lewis v. Republic was cited to underscore that a valid conviction requires a properly framed indictment, legally presented evidence, and proof beyond a reasonable doubt, all of which were met in Jallah’s case.
Highlighting Liberia’s New Penal Code, the judgment emphasized that murder is a first-degree felony, punishable by death or life imprisonment. The court concluded with a formal declaration:
“Defendant Bill Jallah is hereby adjudged guilty of the crimes of Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder, and is sentenced to LIFE IMPRISONMENT.”
The Clerk of the Court has been instructed to issue a formal mandate to the Superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison to immediately enforce the sentence.
