A Solomon Islands MP has asked traditional chiefs to hunt down those responsible for the beheading of a 60-year-old Australian missionary at a remote settlement. “I am confident they will be caught and handed over to police,” said the MP, Alfred Sasako. “This is an appalling crime and everybody is shocked.” Lance Gersbach was murdered at Oto’ifi on the northern coast of the large island of Malaita, where the Seventh Day Adventist Church has operated a hospital since 1962. Mr Gersbach, who moved to the Solomons in February with his wife and two young daughters to work as the hospital’s business manager, was involved in the construction of a new general store. Mr Sasako said that just after 1pm on Sunday, Mr Gersbach was operating an excavator at the site of the new store and asked an assistant to fetch some tools. When the assistant returned, the missionary was dead, his head severed. There have been reports that the killing may have been related to the building project, which added to historical tensions over the hospital’s use of the local land under a 100-year lease. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.