Kasoa ritual murder: Court finds 2 teens guilty, sentences 1 to life imprisonment

Two young individuals accused of the 2021 murder of a 10-year-old boy in Kasoa have been found guilty of both murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

After three years of legal proceedings, the High Court has delivered its verdict. Nicholas Kini, who was 18 at the time of the crime, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, while the first accused, who was 15 at the time, has been referred to the juvenile court for sentencing.

Case Overview

The investigation revealed that the crime was motivated by a desire for quick wealth. According to the first accused, the idea to kill the young boy emerged after watching a video featuring a spiritualist who claimed he could make people rich in exchange for GH¢5,000 and human blood. The first accused then contacted Nicholas Kini, who suggested they consult the fetish priest. Allegedly, the priest demanded GH¢5,000 along with human blood to complete the ritual.

Their initial plan involved kidnapping the victim and demanding a ransom from his parents. The first accused lured the child to an unfinished building by offering a game as bait. Once there, the victim was struck on the head with a stick and then hit with cement blocks after pleading for his life. Despite his efforts to escape, the boy was buried alive, with suffocation being determined as the cause of death by a pathologist.

Trial Proceedings

The prosecution called its first witness in March 2023. Throughout the trial, seven witnesses, including the victim’s father, relatives of the first accused, and law enforcement officers, provided testimony. The detective who investigated the case and the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem were instrumental in establishing the facts.

The victim’s father testified that the crime occurred after he had returned home from a work trip. Following breakfast with his family, he went to rest but was awakened by his wife’s screams upon discovering their son’s body in an unfinished building nearby. The first accused’s sister also testified, stating she saw her brother and Nicholas Kini at the same location earlier but was told to leave. She later alerted her mother, who informed the victim's father, Richard Mensah.

Mensah testified that he found his son's body and that the first accused had confessed to the killing, implicating Nicholas Kini as a co-conspirator. Police reports confirmed that Kini admitted to hitting the boy with a club.

Defence Arguments

The first accused pleaded guilty to conspiracy but maintained his innocence regarding the murder charge. Meanwhile, Nicholas Kini denied all involvement, pleading not guilty to both conspiracy and murder. He presented an alibi, claiming he was with his grandfather at the time of the crime, but the court found no evidence to support this claim.

Verdict and Sentencing

In the final arguments, the prosecution urged the jury to convict both suspects, emphasising the substantial evidence connecting them to the crime. The defence sought their acquittal, insisting on a lack of conclusive proof. Justice Lydia Osei Marfo reminded the jury of their responsibility to carefully weigh the evidence.

After deliberation, the seven-member jury unanimously found both suspects guilty. Nicholas Kini received a life sentence, while the first accused awaits sentencing in the juvenile court.

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