The Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra has sentenced Richard Appiah to life imprisonment after a seven-member jury unanimously found him guilty of murdering two boys in the 2021 Abesim killings in the Bono Region.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, February 25, 2026, brings to a close a case that has gripped national attention since the tragic events unfolded in August 2021. Appiah, a former footballer previously associated with Okumapem FC, was convicted on two counts of murder in the deaths of 12-year-old Louis Agyemang Jr. and 15-year-old Stephen Sarpong.
The case emerged after police conducted a search of Appiah’s residence in Abesim, near Sunyani. During the search, officers discovered the bodies of the two boys inside a locked room. One body was found lying in the room, while the other had been concealed in a refrigerator — a discovery that shocked the local community and sparked outrage across the country.
Medical evidence presented during the trial revealed that one of the victims died from strangulation, while the other succumbed to fatal blood loss. The disturbing details of the case intensified public concern and placed the trial under intense scrutiny.
Appiah, who was 28 years old at the time of the incident, had been on trial since 2022 before Justice Ruby Aryeetey at the High Court in Accra. Although he admitted responsibility for the deaths, his legal team raised a plea of insanity. The defence argued that he was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the incident and lacked the mental capacity to understand the nature or consequences of his actions.
During proceedings, the court heard that Appiah underwent psychiatric assessment and was initially declared unfit to stand trial. However, he was later certified fit to continue with the trial after further evaluation.
Prosecutors rejected the insanity defence and maintained that the killings were deliberate. They told the court that Appiah’s actions after the murders demonstrated awareness and intent. According to the prosecution, he hid the bodies, attempted to destroy evidence, and even joined community search efforts for the missing boys — conduct they argued was inconsistent with a lack of mental capacity.
The state called five witnesses to testify in support of its case. Appiah also testified in his own defence and called his father as a witness during the trial.
Following closing arguments and the judge’s summing up, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on both counts of murder. Justice Aryeetey subsequently sentenced Appiah to life imprisonment, citing the gravity and brutality of the offences.
The February 25 ruling brings finality to one of the most disturbing criminal cases in recent Ghanaian history. The case has reignited public debate on violent crime, mental health evaluations in criminal trials, and the broader administration of justice in Ghana.
