Kasoa ritual murder: Culprit sentenced to life in prison
by Ayeh Offei-Akoto · MyNewsGh.comThe High Court has convicted two teens for the murder of a 10-year-old boy in Kasoa, a case that has captivated the country since its inception in 2021.
The crime, committed in 2021, took three years to complete. The High Court issued the final conviction, condemning the second accused, Nicholas Kini, who was 18 at the time of the crime, to life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the first accused, who was 15 years old at the time of the crime, has been referred to juvenile court for sentencing because the High Court does not have power to sentence minors.
The murder was the result of a misguided attempt to gain fortune through ritualistic means.
During the investigation, the first accused admitted to having been influenced by a video of a spiritualist, who promised riches in exchange for GH¢5,000 and human blood.
The teenage admitted to contacting Nicholas Kini to carry out the plot, which resulted in the gruesome death of the young kid.
The two adolescents tricked Ishmael into going to an unfinished building on the guise of gifting him a video game. When they arrived, they struck him with a stick before crushing his head with cement blocks.
The boy was buried alive, and the pathologist confirmed that he died of asphyxiation.
During the trial, the prosecution called seven witnesses, including the deceased’s father, police officers, and the accused’s relatives.
Richard Mensah, the father of the first accused, said that his son confessed to the murder, implicating Nicholas Kini as well.
The deceased’s father also gave testimony, describing the heartbreaking moment he found his son’s dead.
The first accused’s sister also provided important evidence, claiming to have seen Nicholas Kini and her brother at the crime scene on the day of the the event.
Her suspicions eventually resulted in the young men’ confessions and the body’s eventual discovery.
Although the initial defendant acknowledged the offense and entered a guilty plea to conspiracy but not murder, Nicholas Kini insisted on his innocence during the trial.
He denied being at the scene of the incident and said the first accused had set him up. His alibi, that he was with his grandfather when the incident occurred, was not supported by any evidence, though.
The Ghana News Agency reports that a seven-member jury, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, found both youths guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder after deliberating for a while.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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