An Accra division of the High Court of Ghana has sentenced former footballer Richard Appiah to life imprisonment for the 2021 killing of two teenagers in Abesim.
The conviction follows a unanimous guilty verdict by a seven-member jury on two counts of murder. The case, which shocked residents of the Bono Region and drew national attention, involved the deaths of 12-year-old Louis Agyemang and 15-year-old Stephen Sarpong.
The teenagers’ bodies were discovered in August 2021 at Appiah’s residence near Sunyani. Details that emerged during the investigation including the discovery of body parts stored in a refrigerator sparked widespread outrage and grief across the country.
The trial, which began in 2022, was presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey. Proceedings experienced several delays but ultimately concluded with the jury finding Appiah guilty on both counts.
Prosecutors argued that the evidence presented during the trial conclusively linked Appiah to the killings. The court subsequently imposed a life sentence, underscoring the gravity of the offence.
The judgment brings closure to a case that has remained one of the most disturbing criminal incidents in recent years, leaving a lasting impact on the Abesim community and the nation at large.