New York-based Ghanaian couple accused of fatally beating 5-year-old son convicted

A New York-based Ghanaian couple accused of fatally beating their 5-year-old son face up to 25 years to life in prison after they were found guilty of the minor’s killing, authorities announced on March 22.

In a statement, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Valerie Owusu, 28, and Emmanuel Addae, 28, of Corona, Queens, were convicted after a jury found them guilty of Murder in the Second Degree. The deceased minor, identified as King Owusu, was Owusu’s son.

Authorities said the convicted couple physically assaulted King between March 30 and April 1, 2021, adding that they used at least four different instruments to beat the minor. The assault is said to have happened in their apartment in Queens. 

“The couple watched King’s physical condition deteriorate for approximately three days until King lost unconsciousness,” the statement added. “During that time, both Owusu and Addae did not call 911, take King to the doctor, or provide any medical care to the child.”

Authorities said Owusu and Addae on April 1 then took King to a family member’s home and left the minor to die. The family member later discovered King’s body after returning home that day, and the Suffolk County Police Department was ultimately notified. The 5-year-old was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The medical examiner who performed King’s autopsy informed the court that the deceased 5-year-old was “beaten from head to toe, and that his injuries, which were too numerous to count, caused his death.”

“This little boy was beaten and suffered for days at the hands of these defendants, one of whom was his own mother, until he unfortunately succumbed to his severe and extensive injuries,” District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said. 

“Thanks to the thorough investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department, the relentless pursuit of justice by the prosecutors assigned to this case, and the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence presented, the defendants have been held accountable for this horrific crime.”