MONROVIA, LIBERIA – STAND, the Solidarity and Trust for a New Day has revealed in Monrovia that Lucas Richards, the American Missionary acquitted of attempting to murder Jessica Lloyd, will be prosecuted in the United States for his actions against her. STAND Chairman Mulbah Morlu, speaking to reporters in Palm Farm Community, Dixville, Montserrado County, criticized the Liberian Court’s decision as barbaric and incomprehensible.
Morlu stressed that Jessica Lloyd represents any family’s child, sister, or daughter and should always be safeguarded. He expressed disappointment over bystanders’ inaction while Jessica and her family endured immense suffering.
“We’ve finalized plans with U.S. partners and American legal experts to prosecute Mr. Lucas Richards,” Morlu declared. “This isn’t an American issue but one man’s attempt to harm an innocent woman openly. Despite our court’s verdict, he won’t avoid accountability. American laws will ensure justice for Jessica Lloyd.”
The court’s decision came after a legal clash between Liberia’s government, representing the prosecution, and Richards’ defense team. Jessica Lloyd openly expressed her dismay at Richards’ acquittal for Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder outside the Temple of Justice following Judge Nelson Chinneh’s ruling.
Judge Chinneh noted that the evidence provided by the prosecution was inadequate and that witness testimonies contradicted each other, leading to Richards’ acquittal on charges of Aggravated Assault and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder.
Morlu criticized Judge Nelson Chinneh, calling him corrupt and advocating for his removal from the judiciary. He argued that the ruling against Jessica Lloyd highlighted Judge Chinneh’s compromised integrity.
In September 2023, Lucas Richards, an American missionary sent to support Creekside Church’s initiatives in rural Liberia, nearly took Jessica Lloyd’s life by slitting her throat. Richards, despite being legally wed in the U.S., married Jessica in a traditional Liberian ceremony in Monrovia, attended by her family.
When Jessica became pregnant with Richards’ child, he illegally administered medication to terminate the pregnancy while maintaining his relationship with her. Upon learning of Richards’ affair with Jessica, the Liberian church intervened. Richards then attempted to murder Jessica with a knife by the roadside and physically attacked her with a wrench. However, bystanders apprehended him and handed him over to the Liberian National Police.
