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Richard Appiah has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a seven-member jury at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra unanimously found him guilty of murdering two boys in Abesim in the Bono Region.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, February 25, 2026, brings to an end a trial that has gripped public attention since the shocking events of 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 a 15-year-old Stephen Sarpong.
The case emerged after police conducted a search of Appiah’s residence in Abesim, near Sunyani. Inside a locked room, officers discovered the bodies of the two boys. One body was found in the room, while the other had been concealed in a refrigerator.
The disturbing circumstances surrounding the discovery triggered outrage within the community and across the country.
Medical evidence presented during the trial indicated that one victim died from strangulation, while the other suffered fatal blood loss.
Appiah, who was 28 at the time of the incident, had been on trial since 2022 before Justice Ruby Aryeetey.
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 and lacked the capacity to understand the nature or consequences of his actions.
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The court heard that he underwent psychiatric assessment and was initially declared unfit to stand trial before later being certified fit to continue with proceedings.
Prosecutors, however, insisted the murders were deliberate. They told the court that Appiah hid the bodies, attempted to destroy evidence and joined search efforts, actions they argued showed clear awareness and intent.
The state called five witnesses in support of its case. Appiah testified in his own defence and also called his father as a witness.
Following closing arguments and the judge’s summing up, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on both counts.
Justice Aryeetey subsequently sentenced Appiah to life imprisonment, citing the seriousness of the offences.
The February 25 ruling draws a line under one of the most disturbing criminal cases in recent years and renews debate about violent crime, mental health evaluations in criminal proceedings and the administration of justice.
