The High Court in Accra has sentenced Richard Appiah, a footballer and draughtsman, to life imprisonment after a seven-member jury unanimously found him guilty on two counts of murder in connection with the killing of two children in Abesim in the Bono Region in 2021.
The victims, aged 12 and 15 at the time of their deaths, were murdered in a case that shocked the nation and drew widespread public attention.
Appiah, who was 28 when the offences were committed, has been on trial since 2024 before Justice Ruby Aryeetey. Committal proceedings began at the District Court in 2021 before the case was transferred to the High Court for trial.
Under criminal law, a conviction for murder requires proof that the accused caused unlawful harm resulting in death and did so with intent. Throughout the trial, the prosecution sought to establish that Appiah committed the acts deliberately and with full knowledge of their consequences.
During the defence’s address to the jury, counsel for Appiah, Faustinus Yirilabuo, urged jurors to return a verdict of guilty but insane. He argued that although his client carried out the acts, he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time and did not understand the nature and consequences of his actions.
Defence counsel told the court that Appiah had previously exhibited unusual behaviour consistent with schizophrenia. He cited instances in which the accused allegedly engaged in disturbing conduct and claimed that at the time of the killings, Appiah was experiencing hallucinations and believed he was being directed by a spirit to commit the crime under threat of death.
The prosecution, however, rejected the insanity plea. Assistant State Attorney Nana Ama Adinkra argued that Appiah was fully aware of his actions and took deliberate steps to conceal evidence after the murders.
She told the jury that the accused disposed of parts of the victims’ bodies behind the house and attempted to destroy incriminating items, including burning clothing, actions she said demonstrated consciousness of guilt.
On the issue of mental illness, the prosecution questioned the evidentiary basis of the defence’s claims. Although Appiah’s father produced photographs of medication said to have been prescribed for him, the prosecution argued that there was no verified medical evidence confirming who prescribed the drugs or whether they were taken as treatment for a diagnosed condition.
Relying on expert testimony, the prosecution further maintained that individuals living with schizophrenia are not inherently violent and that there was no indication Appiah was undergoing an active psychotic episode at the time of the offence. The state contended that he was capable of distinguishing right from wrong and therefore bore full criminal responsibility.
After deliberations, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on both counts of murder. Justice Aryeetey subsequently sentenced Appiah to life imprisonment in accordance with the law.
Reacting to the verdict, the father of the victims, Yeboah Asuamah, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. He thanked investigators and the Attorney General’s Department for their work in securing the conviction.
However, lead defence counsel Theophilus Dzimegah indicated that the legal team would challenge the decision. Speaking to journalists after the sentencing, he announced plans to file a notice of appeal against the ruling.
The case dates back to August 20, 2021, when reports were made to the police, prompting investigations that led to a grim discovery at Appiah’s residence in Abesim. Officers found the body of one of the victims in a refrigerator, while other human remains were located in separate rooms in the house.
Subsequent investigations led police to a cocoa farm in Abesim, where intestines believed to belong to one of the victims were retrieved for forensic examination. Two bloodstained machetes were also recovered from the scene.
The verdict brings to a close a trial that has spanned several years and attracted intense public scrutiny, though the anticipated appeal means the legal process may not yet be fully concluded.
