The Resident Circuit Judge of Criminal Court ‘A’ Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie has ruled that the autopsy carried out by Dr. Rockefeller F. Cooper, II on the body of Toni Jackson cannot be used in court, saying Dr. Cooper is not legally qualified to perform autopsies in Liberia.
The ruling was delivered Tuesday, May 26, 2026, during proceedings at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia in the ongoing manslaughter and negligent homicide case against Liberian economic Samuel P. Jackson.
The Ministry of Justice had earlier filed a motion asking the court to reverse its previous decision that allowed Dr. Cooper to conduct the autopsy at St. Moses Funeral Parlor in Gardnersville.
According to prosecutors, the Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC) confirmed that Dr. Cooper is licensed as a Forensic Medico-Legal Death Investigator and not as a pathologist.
Defense lawyers objected to the motion, arguing that the matter should be dismissed because the court term in which the original ruling was made had already ended.
But Judge Willie disagreed, explaining that the motion was filed during the February Term of Court and was only delayed because of judiciary training programs involving judges, prosecutors, and public defenders.
“The hearing of the Motion at this time and date is due to no fault of the Prosecution but rather as a result of the Judiciary Administrative Training Sessions,” Judge Willie stated in his ruling.
The judge said the LMDC clearly informed the court that Dr. Cooper is not a pathologist and therefore does not have the authority to perform autopsies.
“Dr. Rockefeller F. Cooper, II is not a Pathologist,” the court quoted from the LMDC communication.
Judge Willie explained that a Forensic Medico-Legal Death Investigator mainly handles crime scene documentation, evidence collection, witness interviews, and other investigative duties, while a pathologist is a trained medical doctor authorized to perform autopsies and determine causes of death.
Based on that distinction, the court ruled that the post-mortem examination conducted by Dr. Cooper on Toni Jackson’s remains was “null and void ab initio” and cannot be used as evidence in the case.
However, the court upheld the rest of Dr. Cooper’s forensic work, including photographing the crime scene, gathering evidence, preserving samples, and interviewing witnesses.
Judge Willie said those duties fall within the scope of Dr. Cooper’s professional license as a Forensic Medico-Legal Death Investigator and can therefore be used during trial proceedings.
The criminal case against Samuel P. Jackson remains before Criminal Court “A” in Montserrado County.
