An Accra High Court has sentenced former footballer Richard Appiah to life imprisonment after a jury found him guilty in the Abesim child murder case. He was convicted of killing two boys and storing one of the bodies in a refrigerator.
The sentence was handed down by Criminal Court 1 of the High Court following a unanimous verdict from a seven-member jury. The ruling came after both prosecution and defence lawyers delivered their closing arguments on Monday, February 25, 2026.
Presiding judge Justice Ruby Aryeetey then summed up the evidence before the jury reached its decision. The case dates back to August 2021 in Abesim in the Bono Region. Appiah, a former player with Okumapem FC, was charged with the murder of 12-year-old Louis Agyemang Jr. and 15-year-old Stephen Sarpong. Evidence presented in court showed that the bodies of the two boys were discovered inside a locked room at the accused’s home.
One body was found lying in the room, while the other was recovered from a refrigerator on the premises. A pathologist who testified during the trial told the court that one of the victims died from strangulation, while the other died from severe blood loss. Although Appiah admitted causing the deaths, his defence team argued that he was suffering from schizophrenia at the time and therefore did not understand the nature or wrongfulness of his actions.
The defence said he had undergone a psychiatric evaluation and was initially declared unfit to stand trial before later being assessed as fit. The prosecution insisted that the evidence demonstrated clear intent. State attorneys argued that Appiah’s actions—concealing the bodies, attempting to destroy evidence, and even joining search efforts for the missing boys—revealed deliberate conduct and awareness. They told the jury these steps were calculated to mislead investigators and deflect suspicion.
To strengthen their case, the prosecution presented five witnesses. Appiah also testified in his own defence and called one witness, his father. After weighing the evidence and submissions from both sides, the jury unanimously found Appiah guilty, resulting in a life sentence imposed by the court.
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