1990: Samuel K. Doe
September 9th, 2008 Headsman
On this date in 1990, deposed Liberian strongman Samuel Kanyon Doe was tortured and summarily executed in Monrovia by the putschists that overthrew him … and gruesomely filmed in the process.
Doe had come to power killing his predecessors — personally murdering, some sources say, President William Tolbert in 1980, then executing his chief aides.
That coup toppled civilian authority in the west African country now permanently prefixed with the adjective “troubled.” “The first of the monsters,” the War Nerd called him: Doe’s murderous rule through the 1980′s set up the succession of current war crimes prisoner Charles Taylor.
Samuel Doe’s turn in the obituaries arrived in particularly grisly fashion, with Taylor rival/semi-ally* Prince Johnson swilling beer as he interrogated — and ordered the ear sliced off — the groveling former head of state before having him executed. (Or if you like, just plain murdered.) The video shot of Doe’s ordeal became an international sensation … so it’s a little surprising that only this paltry excerpt seems to be readily available online:
* And current Liberian Senator! He feels just awful about the whole torturing-the-President-to-death thing.
Also On This Date
- 1861: Not William Scott, the Sleeping Sentinel
- 1437: Jan Rohác z Dubé, Hussite marshal
- 1986: Andrew Sibusiso Zondo and two other ANC cadres
Possibly Related Executions
- 1967: Ernesto “Che” Guevara
- 1961: Patrice Lumumba
- 1996: Dr. Mohammad Najibullah
- 1934: Night of the Long Knives
- 1934: Ernst Roehm, SA chief
Entry Filed under: 20th Century,Borderline "Executions",Capital Punishment,Cycle of Violence,Death Penalty,Execution,Famous,Heads of State,History,Infamous,Liberia,No Formal Charge,Political Expedience,Politicians,Popular Culture,Power,Soldiers,Summary Executions,Torture
Tags: 1990, charles taylor, coup d', monrovia, prince johnson, samuel doe, samuel k. doe, samuel kanyon doe, september 9
October 31st, 2008 at 12:00 pm
[...] September 9, 1990: Samuel K. Doe [...]
January 16th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
i know that this is been done but we the people of samel K deo, we i not done yet.
April 21st, 2009 at 12:18 am
[...] April 12, 1980, an ethnically Krahn officer named Samuel Doe overthrew — and personally murdered — the last Americo-Liberian president, William [...]
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:55 am
Samuel K Doe was the greatest president Liberia ever to be elected to the Republic of Liberia. The love he had for his country was unconditional. Regardless of your ethical tribe. America has portrayed Dr.Doe as a illiterate indigenous animal with no self control and compassion for mankind. The truth may never be revealed in its entirety but at the end of the day Dr.Doe came from the bottom and made it to the top. No one will ever amount to his level of excellence.
October 31st, 2009 at 12:36 am
[...] 3. September 9, 2008: Samuel K. Doe [...]
January 16th, 2010 at 2:50 am
hi i kno that was good greatest greatest president for liberia we the liberian was happy with preesident doe but them come and kill his i miss my bro so much R.I.P samuel k doe
August 23rd, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Just another african goon squad…give them the gun ( any gun as long as the opponent doesn’t have one} , and its a licence to murder pillage rape and torture ..anyone and every one. Give them a fight with half a dozen disiplined opponents and an army of a thousand “toughs” suddenly evaporates into the bush..dark glasses et all.It happens all the time.
Some say Doe got his just deserts (though I think it was his executioner who p[robably ate the ear pudding), I think Doe was sickening..I think the excreta that hacked him to pieces was sickening , and I think the Tolbert person he killed was sickening. They ALL probably l have “frozen” millions stacked up in the sanctimonious west..I wonder who profits from money stacked up and “frozen”in the west? I wonder who sells these goons the guns that makes them so “tough” ?
September 1st, 2010 at 2:00 am
the only way liberia will be unless they hve a native president like Doe! why surpressing the native liberians?U HVE TO ACCEPTE WHO U R NOT TO PRETEND TO BE CONGO,if the congo beleive they afro american they should found their root and stop surpressing the natives liberians,this stated long ago when the native liberians with figth in bed feet and the congos with figth with shoes ! leave the native alone, DOE was a through born african child and the native liberian and he knew what the congo were doing and surpressing the native by creating so call UBF!in the way of getting raid of the native liberian.THE GIO people don’t know that !
October 31st, 2010 at 10:33 am
[...] 2. Sep. 9, 1990: Samuel K. Doe [...]
November 16th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
The second Liberians can all agree that a responsible government that respects human rights and the rule of law is more important than which ethnic group controls the levers of power is the second that Liberia liberates itself from the cycle of poverty, corruption and violence.