By By: Staff Writer
MONROVIA — A murder trial against commercial driver Francis Nana ended without a verdict Monday after the jury at Criminal Court ‘A’ deadlocked, forcing the court to declare a mistrial.
The 12-member jury split evenly after hours of deliberation. Six jurors found the evidence supported a murder charge, while six concluded Officer Mark D. Bracewell’s death was the result of a traffic accident, not an intentional killing. With no consensus, the court dismissed the panel and left it to prosecutors to decide whether to pursue a retrial.
The outcome is a setback for the prosecution, which had sought a life sentence. About 200 officers from the Liberia National Police, Liberia Immigration Service, and Liberia National Fire Service attended the reading in a show of support for Bracewell.
Defense counsel Jeremiah Samuel Dugbo argued the state failed to prove intent, telling jurors the incident was a tragic accident rather than murder. Citing Matthew 27:4 and Surah 17:33, he urged caution against convicting where doubt remained.
“There is absolutely no evidence that Francis Nana intended to kill Officer Bracewell,” Dugbo said, adding that the prosecution had not established malice aforethought as required under Liberian law.
To support their case, the defense pointed to the Liberia National Police’s First Quarter Road Traffic Accident Report, which recorded 478 crashes and 71 deaths between January and March. None of those fatalities were prosecuted as murder, Dugbo noted, arguing the charge in this case was elevated only because the victim was an officer.
Prosecutors countered that the way Bracewell was dragged by Nana’s vehicle went beyond negligence.
“The conduct of the defendant showed malice,” the state told the court. “This was not ordinary recklessness.” They told jurors the driver had time to stop but continued, putting the officer’s life at risk.
According to court records, Bracewell was trying to stop Nana’s vehicle during a traffic stop in Monrovia when he was dragged and fatally injured. His death sparked calls for accountability within the LNP and renewed public debate over road safety and police-motorist encounters.
With the jury unable to resolve whether the case was murder or an accident, the proceedings ended without conviction or acquittal. Prosecutors now face the decision of whether to empanel a new jury and retry Nana.
