The High Court has sentenced Richard Appiah, a footballer and draughtsman convicted of murdering two children at Abesim in the Bono Region, to life imprisonment.
The sentence follows a unanimous guilty verdict returned by a seven-member jury on two counts of murder. The victims, aged 12 and 15, were killed in 2021 in a case that shocked the Abesim community and drew national attention.
Appiah, who was 28 at the time of the offences, had been standing trial since 2022 before the court, presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey.
The case came to light in August 2021 when police at Abesim, near Sunyani, arrested Appiah after discovering the bodies of two boys in his residence.
Investigators found human remains concealed in a refrigerator in his living quarters, a development that sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.
Police identified the victims as Louis Agyemang, 12, believed to be a stepbrother of the convict, and Stephen Sarpong, 15, the son of a family friend.
At the time of his arrest, Appiah was variously described in media reports as a footballer, sports commentator and architect. However, the Ghana Institute of Architects later clarified that he was not a registered architect.
During investigations, authorities sought a psychiatric evaluation after reports that the accused exhibited unusual behaviour while in custody.
The court’s ruling brings to a close one of the most disturbing criminal cases in recent years.
