MONROVIA – Concern is growing across Montserrado County as the mysterious deaths of Mrs. Deiode Davies Garnett, her daughter Judee, and two grandchildren continue to raise troubling questions that the government has yet to answer. The family was laid to rest on Saturday, November 29, 2025, with government officials in attendance, including Minister of Information Jerolinmek Matthew Piah and Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson, among others. Instead of bringing closure, the burial has intensified public attention over what many believe to be an unexplained and deeply suspicious tragedy in the Duport Road, Shara Community. With fears mounting and speculation spreading, civil society advocates, women’s groups, and ordinary citizens are expected to demand a credible and transparent investigation.
Community members say the circumstances of the family’s deaths are far from clear. Many have taken to Facebook and other social media platforms to question how an entire household could perish in a fire without visible burn marks on their bodies. If the victims did not suffer burns, then what caused their deaths? Why was an autopsy not performed before the burial? And what exactly happened in the final hours of the Garnett family? These questions, unanswered, have only deepened public alarm over whether the government is taking the matter seriously.
Former LDEA Deputy Director-General for Operations, Hassan Fadiga, has become one of the loudest voices calling for answers. In a Facebook post titled “Tragedy in Duport Road, Shara Community, a search for answers,” he disclosed that he had received numerous calls from residents seeking clarity. According to Fadiga, the situation demands more than silence or assumptions. “Was an arson investigation conducted?” he asked. “Was an autopsy performed to determine the precise cause of death? If not, why were the victims buried without these critical steps?” His questions have since gained traction among the public.
Fadiga stressed that standard investigative procedures, including questioning the spouse, must not be overlooked. He clarified that speaking to the husband is not an accusation but an essential part of any thorough investigation. “Were there marital problems that investigators should know about?” he asked. “How can the police provide closure to the public without completing the most basic investigative processes?” These concerns have sparked renewed debate about the capacity and willingness of law enforcement agencies to handle sensitive cases.
Adding to the controversy, another resident, Laurina Gaye, publicly accused Mr. Isaac H. Garnett, Sr., husband of the late chairlady, of being responsible for the deaths. Gaye claimed that after viewing the bodies, she noticed no fire burns, prompting her to believe that the victims may have been dead before the fire. While her allegations remain unverified, they have intensified questions surrounding the incident. Could the family have been killed before the fire? If so, what was the motive? And why has no official statement addressed this possibility?
The tragic incident occurred on Friday, November 14, 2025, at around 11:00 p.m. Residents say the fire spread rapidly, leaving the family trapped. But with doubts over burn marks, many are now asking whether the fire was a cover-up for a crime. How could five people die inside a home without showing significant signs of burning? Was the fire staged after the victims were already dead?
The Liberia National Fire Service and the LNP have stated that investigations are ongoing, but their silence on key details has drawn criticism. Community members argue that too many past cases have been declared “under investigation” only to be quietly abandoned months later. Will this tragedy follow the same pattern? Will anyone be held accountable for the unanswered questions surrounding the Garnett family’s deaths?
Mrs. Garnett, who was chairlady of the Shara Community, was widely respected for her dedication to development and community cohesion. Her loss has left residents devastated and determined to seek justice. Women’s groups and civil society organizations are now being urged to intervene. Will advocates allow the deaths of a prominent community leader and her family to go uninvestigated? Will government agencies step up to provide transparency?
As Montserrado and the residents of the Shara Community in Duport Road grieve, fear and frustration continue to rise. The deaths of Mrs. Garnett, Judee, Isaac, Christopher, and Ruth Treasure Fleming are no longer seen as a simple fire tragedy; they have become a symbol of unanswered questions and possible investigative neglect. Until the police address these concerns openly and transparently, public suspicion will continue to grow, and the call for justice will only intensify.
For now, Monrovians wait hoping that this case will not fade into silence, and that the truth behind the Garnett family’s mysterious deaths will finally come to light.
