On April 12, 1980, Thirteen Liberian Leaders were killed by firing squad by soldiers in a coup led by Master Sgt. Samuel K Doe in front of the cheering Liberian civilians
The 1980 Liberia Coup D’état occurred after President William Tolbert was overthrown and killed in a violent coup staged by the indigenous Liberian faction of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) under the command of Master Sergeant Samuel Doe. He then ruled Liberia from the 1980s till his death in 1990 during the First Liberian Civil War.
Their execution came after a long overdue system of oligarchy practised by the government, which allowed only the propertied to rule and have access to power.
Their execution came after a 10 minutes press conference delivered by the military head of state Master Sgt. Samuel Doe at the executive mansion. This happened after President William Tolbert of the Americo Liberians party was killed while he lay in bed.
After the president was killed, members of his cabinet were tried in a kangaroo court and found guilty on corruption charges; the 13 leaders were then sentenced to death by firing squad at a public beach near the Barclays training centre in Monrovia. They were tied to pole posts with their backs against the Atlantic shore where their predecessors first set foot.
The 13 leaders publicly executed were;
Frank E. Tolbert – he was the brother to President Tolbert and President pro tempore of the Senate
Richard A. Henries – who was speaker of the House of Representatives
E. Reginald Townsend – the National Chairman of the True Whig Party
P. Clarence Parker II – The chairman of the National Investment Council and Treasurer of the True Whig Party
James A. A. Pierre – the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Joseph J. Chesson Sr. – the 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.
While Dennis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, waited to be executed, he closed his eyes to say a prayer, and a soldier shouted, “You lie! You don’t know God,” from anger at how inefficient he was while he served
