Former Liberian warlord and influential senator Prince Johnson, a central figure in the country’s brutal 1989-2003 civil wars, passed away on Thursday at the age of 72. His death was confirmed by officials from his party and the Senate.

Johnson, infamous for his role in the torture and killing of then-president Samuel Doe in 1990—a moment he was seen calmly observing while drinking beer—died at the Hope for Women health center.

“Senator Johnson was the longest-serving senator,” said Siaffa Jallah, Deputy Director of Press at the Senate. Wilfred Bangura, a senior official of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) party founded by Johnson, also confirmed the news.

Doe’s death marked a gruesome turning point that plunged Liberia deeper into its devastating civil wars, which claimed approximately 250,000 lives and shattered the nation’s economy.

Hailing from Nimba County in northern Liberia, Johnson later transitioned from warlord to preacher, becoming a popular figure in his evangelical church. Despite his controversial past, he remained a polarizing political figure and a staunch opponent of establishing a war crimes tribunal to address atrocities committed during Liberia’s civil conflicts.