Criminal Court “A” has thrown out an autopsy conducted by Dr. Rockefeller F. Cooper II on the remains of Toni Jackson, ruling that the examination is legally invalid and cannot be used as evidence in the ongoing manslaughter and negligent homicide case involving the deceased’s husband, Samuel P. Jackson.
The decision was delivered Tuesday, May 26, 2026, by Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie during the May Term of Court, following a motion from state prosecutors requesting that the court reverse an earlier order allowing Dr. Cooper to conduct the post-mortem.
The Ministry of Justice argued that Dr. Cooper is not licensed as a pathologist by the Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC). Instead, he holds a license as a Forensic Medico-Legal Death Investigator, a credential that does not authorize him to perform autopsies.
Prosecutors insisted that determining the cause of death in the Toni Jackson case is a crucial evidentiary matter and must be handled only by a qualified, LMDC-certified pathologist. Defense lawyers pushed back, claiming the prosecution’s motion was untimely because the original approval for Dr. Cooper’s involvement was issued during the February Term of Court, while the new motion was heard in the May Term.
They further argued that Dr. Cooper had already completed his work and was preparing his findings. Judge Willie, however, dismissed the timing challenge, noting that the motion to rescind was filed on April 27, 2026, still within the February Term.
He attributed the delayed hearing to judiciary-wide training sessions that had temporarily disrupted the court schedule. In clarifying his ruling, Judge Willie stressed the difference between the duties of a forensic death investigator and those of a fully licensed pathologist.
While investigators may document crime scenes, collect evidence, and support identification efforts, only trained and licensed pathologists are legally permitted to conduct autopsies and determine medical causes of death.
As a result, the court rescinded its earlier authorization for Dr. Cooper to perform the autopsy. Judge Willie ruled: “The post-mortem work or autopsy done on the remains of Toni Jackson by Dr. Rockefeller F. Cooper II at the St. Moses Funeral Parlor is hereby declared null and void ab initio and will not be used in this case.”
However, the court upheld other aspects of Dr. Cooper’s investigation, including crime-scene documentation, evidence collection, analysis, and witness interviews, making them admissible for later use.
The criminal proceedings against Samuel P. Jackson, who faces charges of manslaughter and negligent homicide in connection with his wife’s death, will continue this May Term in Criminal Court “A.”
