A Ghanaian couple living in Queens, NY, were found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree after a jury trial, for the death of their 5-year-old son, King Owusu.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on March 22, that Valerie Owusu, 28, and Emmanuel Addae, 28, of Corona, Queens, were found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree after a jury trial, nearly three years after the lifeless body of Owusu was found in a residence in Brentwood, N.Y.
“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,” said District Attorney Tierney. “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.”
The evidence at trial established that between March 30 and April 1, 2021, Owusu and Addae brutally beat King with at least four different instruments inside their apartment in Lefrak City, Queens.
Join our WhatsApp Channel for more news
The couple watched King’s physical condition deteriorate for approximately three days until King lost unconsciousness. During that time, neither Owusu nor Addae called 911 took King to the doctor, or provided any medical care to the child.
On April 1, 2021, Owusu and Addae brought King to a family member’s home in Brentwood and left him there to die. The Suffolk County Police Department was called after the family member returned home the same day and discovered that the boy was deceased. The child was taken to Southside Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The medical examiner who conducted the child’s autopsy testified that King was beaten from head to toe and that his injuries, which were too numerous to count, caused his death.
On March 22, 2024, Owusu and Addae were each convicted of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, after a two-and-a-half-week-long jury trial heard before Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski. Each defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
Owusu and Addae are due back in court for sentencing on May 1, 2024. Owusu is being represented by Rene Myatt, Esq. Addae is being represented by Raymond Baierlein, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Elena Tomaro of the Homicide Bureau, Assistant District Attorney Scott Romano of the Major Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Patrick Portella and Detective James Hughes of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad.