MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Palm Grove Cemetery on Center Street is, once more, the focus of national attention following Tuesday’s failed exhumation of former President William R. Tolbert, Jr. and 17 members of his government and security detail, executed on April 12th and 22nd, 1980. By 10:00 p.m. last night, St. Moses Funeral Parlor, which was contracted to excavate the grave, clean, and reinter all the remains unearthed, found no bones there.
For over four decades, the remains of these officials were believed to have lain in a mass grave, enclosed in four walls at the southern edge of the cemetery, while the rest of the graveyard has been overrun by drug-addicted persons and heaped with the capital city’s refuse. The contrast is a stark reminder of Liberia’s historical divisions, its violent political upheaval, and the consequences of both. The reality – that the grave is empty – has forced a reckoning with what is yet unknown and unconfirmed about our troubled past.
The discovery has also raised questions about who alive today still holds the secrets that could, if finally revealed, bring healing – and about what, other than guilt, keeps them silent.
Sources close to the bereaved families described the palpable distress at Tuesday night’s developments. “It’s what you might expect,” the source said. “People are really disappointed… But we will keep looking.”
The April 22nd Memorial Group issued a press release late on Wednesday confirming its resolution “ to locating the remains of our fathers and ensuring they receive the honor and remembrance they deserve.”
If finally found, the bodies are set for repose in the greener pastures of the Baptist Theological Seminary (BTS), their excavation and cleaning symbolizing a chance to confront and transcend Liberia’s history of violence and division.
The Ides of April
If the rice riots of April 14, 1979 saw a top-down desecration of the social contract — the killing of 40 civilians and the injury of 500 more during a protest over spiking rice prices — the coup d’état, one year later, read as direct retribution. On April 12, 1980, Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe and his military junta overthrew Tolbert, thus ending his life and more than a century of Americo-Liberian rule through the True Whig Party.
But the shot that killed Tolbert would be inadequate to quench the national thirst for change. Just ten days later, on April 22, the new regime publicly executed 13 of Tolbert’s top officials, along with members of his security team. A cheering crowd witnessed the massacre of 13 men, accused of corruption and oppression, standing naked with their backs to the beach along Redemption Road.
Only three senior officials escaped execution that day: the Vice President Bennie Dee Warner; Florence Chenoweth, Minister of Agriculture; Burleigh Holder, Minister of National Security; and Minister of Finance and future President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who graced Tuesday’s occasion.
Many viewed the executions as long-overdue justice against a ruling elite that marginalized the country’s indigenous majority. Others foresaw the vicious cycle of instability and violence that would ensue. The next 23 years would show bloody proof of the latter – about 250 thousand Liberians lost their lives and many more their right to thrive in their homeland.
Forty-five years on, the sentiments in each camp remain the same. Most stop short of celebrating Tolbert’s demise and that of his cabinet. However, some political entrepreneurs have continued feeding ethnic and class tensions during each election cycle.
Justice and Closure Delayed
Justice has come lukewarm and soapless to wash away the past.
The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) identified the April 22 massacre as a gross human rights violation. It made general recommendations that successive governments should be held responsible for the atrocities committed on their watch. But that was sixteen years ago. To date, hardly a finger has been lifted in that direction.
The ethnic loyalties that perpetuated the civil war have largely hindered the systematic delivery of justice against any and all factions. Liberians, instead, have insulated some wartime leaders from accountability by electing them to nine-year Senate terms. The late warlord Prince Y. Johnson, former Senator for Nimba County, is a case in point. He maintained the confidence and loyalty of his people until his death in November 2024.
The tide is turning ever so slightly. President Joseph N. Boakai took the bold step of establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) late last year. But this move came in response to international pressure and a pledge of support during the latter days of former US President Joe Biden’s administration when aid commitments were high. His successor, Donald Trump, has imposed a minimum three-month global aid freeze, significantly testing Boakai’s commitment to the WECC at a time when the prospect of punitive justice for warlords has garnered more cautious public optimism than before. Already, the only progress has been the appointment of Cllr. Jallah Barbu to spearhead the operation as the Executive Director.
A Private Pursuit
Tuesday’s exhumation also tested Boakai’s commitment to restorative justice in cash, kind, or time – and he did not show up to take it. Nor did there appear to be any government presence or involvement at the event other than the Liberia National Police on patrol to maintain order and safety and the inherent permit granted to conduct the exercise.
The exhumation program featured members of the bereaved families, their friends and well-wishers, the clergy, and the leadership of the Masonic Order of Liberia and the Order of the Eastern Star. At least 100 participants attended virtually from the across the United States, according to Joseph Tolbert, who contributed his information technology expertise to facilitate the hybrid event. He is the son of Adolphus Benedict (A.B.) Tolbert, one of the men being memorialized that day.
Many among these participants have contributed significantly towards raising the US$100,000 needed for the exhumation and reburial since planning for this process began in 2023. Fundraising is still underway to meet that target, which covers the bodies’ excavation, retrieval, cleaning, reburial, and the erection of the monument.
Before his demise in September 2024, Mr. Richard V. Tolbert, Sr., the former Chairman of the National Investment Commission (NIC), negotiated with the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention to donate two lots for the burial site and monument at BTS. Rev. Dr. Samuel Reeves, Senior Pastor at Providence Baptist Church and head of the Convention, one of President Tolbert’s successors to that role, gave the invocation at Tuesday’s ceremony. He began by thanking God “that the healing process of our nation begins today.”
Speaking at the exhumation ceremony, Mrs. Mai Bright Urey, daughter of the late Cyril Bright Sr., one of the officials executed in 1980, said the reburial site will be another mass grave where the deceased will remain in unified rest. She cited the high cost of DNA testing to identify each official’s remains as a major reason for the decision, adding, “They’ve been buried together for over 46 years, so they might as well stay together.”
Asked about the general sentiment of the bereaved families on Tuesday, she said, “Today was very emotional. We had a lot of work to do, so we couldn’t afford to break down. But I was having anxiety attacks, the closer it got to this day… [because of] the memories it brings back.”
Reflecting on her earliest reactions to her father’s death, she said, “We need to realize how traumatizing this whole thing was. For years after this whole thing happened, I always thought, ‘Oh, no, my father is somewhere in some country. And one day, I might just run into him.”
Urey commented on the abiding solidarity within the April 22 Memorial Group, comprising the immediate families of the deceased, which has been a source of solace and strength. “I think the only thing that got us through it all […] was because we were all friends, and so, we had that loss at the same time, so we were able to relate.”
“For me, it was my uncle Clarence Parker, so I had my cousins Philip and Richard, Bindue Dennis, Elfrieda [Stewart Tamba] and her siblings […] So we did it together,” she added.
Urey reflected further, “Imagine what was going through our fathers’ minds, seeing a gun pointed at them, and knowing that they were going to die.”
For his part, Joseph Tolbert considered it “hard… it’s a bittersweet feeling because it’s been long spent. We all know Center Street is a place where the [graves] have been taken over by ‘zogos’ or young kids who are drug addicts. So, they use the graveyard as a place to sleep and as a place to pretty much […] do what they want to do. So, removing out forefathers from here is a form of rest.”
Tolbert looked forward to the deceased being in “a better resting place; a place where we can go and feel comfortable that they are at rest. It will be a place where we can tell our young ones, my son, that, ‘hey, this is a place to see your grandfather.’” He added that he did not want the next generation to “come back, and there’s no place for them” to pay homage to their forefathers.
A Public Intervention
The news broke Wednesday morning, after the attempted exhumation, that President Boakai had appointed a National Committee for the Reburial of Presidents William R. Tolbert, Jr. and Samuel Kanyon Doe.
The Facebook announcement referred to a commitment made in the State of the Nation Address on January 27 to “[accord] dignified burials to President Tolbert and his Cabinet Members who were killed in April 1980, as well as President Doe, who was slain during the Liberian civil war.”
The post further stated, “This historic initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to foster national unity, reconciliation, and healing by bringing closure to a painful chapter in Liberia’s history.”
Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, Minister of Education, has been named Chairperson of the committee, which features leading clergymen from the Episcopal and United Methodist churches, some members of the bereaved families including Mrs. Clavenda Parker and Mrs. Elfrieda Stewart Tamba, Brigadier General of the Armed Forces of Liberia, Davidson Fayiah Forleh, among others.
The announcement made no mention of Tuesday’s events nor indicated whether or how the committee will coordinate with the April 22 Memorial Group.
In an apparent response to the Mansion’s statement, the April 22 Memorial Group’s press release read, “This initiative has been, from its inception, a private effort, funded exclusively by the families and friends of the victims. Planning for this endeavor began over two years ago, and no government funds have been used in the implementation of any of our programs.”
Sources close to the group have hinted at their preference to remain a strictly privately funded initiative, while acknowledging the government’s intents. The accusations of corruption which led to their fathers’ deaths have made some within the Group wary of further exposing themselves and their dead to the assumption of waste and mismanagement that often accompanies public expenditure.
The Group, however expressed its “gratitude to President Joseph Boakai for acknowledging the contributions of our fathers to Liberia and for his willingness to collaborate with us in preserving their legacy.”
Heroes or Villains?
As the affected family members of the April 1980 atrocities brace for news of their loved ones’ remains, the stigma of the True Whig Party’s oppressive legacy still looms.
Mrs. Urey reflected on public sentiment, saying, “Some people believe they deserved to die. But, to us, they were heroes.”
Speaking to the Daily Observer Tuesday, the St. Moses Funeral Parlor proprietor, Mr. Moses H. Ahossouhe, expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to be part of this significant process. He reflected on the impact of the late president and officials, recalling their legacy from his childhood in the 1980s.
“These individuals were heroes and symbols of bravery,” Mr. Ahossouhe stated. “I am truly honored that the family entrusted me with this responsibility. It is a privilege to serve […] as a funeral director to facilitate the dignified exhumation of their loved ones.”
He further noted that the process evoked memories of Liberia’s turbulent past, emphasizing the importance of reflection and reconciliation. “This brings to mind the events that shaped our nation’s history. I hope this process will provide clarity and closure, just as others have sought answers over the years. It is crucial that we continue addressing these matters with care and responsibility.”
Mr. Ahossouhe also commended the government for recognizing and permitting the family to carry out the exhumation. “I am grateful that the government has allowed and acknowledged the family’s right to undertake this important exercise,” he concluded.
The exhumation process, overseen by St. Moses Funeral Home, has been slow and deliberate, reflecting both the emotional weight and national significance of the event.
Memorialization and Reconciliation
Whether or not the bodies are found, the Aprill 22 Memorial Group has said it will proceed with its plans “to memorialize [our fathers] in July 2025 and keep the public informed as the plans unfold.”
Those plans include reburial rites at the Baptist Theological Seminary on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 – a date chosen because the April 22 massacre took place on a Tuesday.
The ceremony will also feature the unveiling of a monument erected in honor of the dead. While plans for long-term maintenance of the site remain uncertain, its symbolic importance is undeniable. For the families, the new monument will serve as a place for reflection and remembrance. For Liberia, it is a moment to reassess how the nation deals with historical trauma.
Unlike many post-conflict nations that have established truth commissions and national memorials, Liberia has done little to memorialize victims of past political violence. The attempted exhumation and the planned reburial represent the most significant effort to date towards recognizing these officials and the injustices surrounding their deaths.
The prospective reburial is more than a ceremony—it is a test of Liberia’s commitment to justice and national unity. Whether this moment spurs further national dialogue or fades into history remains to be seen. The essential question lingers: will Liberia finally learn from its past, or will history repeat itself? The answer could shape the country’s trajectory for years to come.
Closing its press statement, thr April 22 Memorial Group said, “We believe in a united Liberia and call upon all citizens to join us in prayer for the nation’s reconciliation and healing.”
Remembering the Fallen: The 17 Executed Officials
William R. Tolbert – Former President of the Republic of Liberia Frank E. Tolbert — President pro tempore of the Senate and brother of President Tolbert
Richard A. Henries — Speaker of the House of Representatives
E. Reginald Townsend — National Chairman of the True Whig Party and former Secretary of Information and Cultural Affairs, under whose leadership both founders of the Daily Observer, Kenneth and Mae Gene Best, once served.
P. Clarence Parker II — Chairman of the National Investment Council and Treasurer of the True Whig Party
James A. A. Pierre — Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Joseph J. Chesson Sr. — Minister of Justice
Cecil Dennis — Minister of Foreign Affairs
Cyril Bright — Former Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs
John W. Sherman — Assistant Minister of Commerce and Trade
James T. Phillips — Former Minister of Finance, Former Minister of Agriculture
David Franklin Neal — Former Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs
Charles T. O. King — Deputy Minister for Agriculture
Frank J. Stewart Sr. — Director of the Budget and beloved uncle of Daily Observer’s co-founder, Mae Gene Best.
