New York-based Ghanaian couple convicted for beating 5-year-old son to death

A Queens, N.Y., couple was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of a 5-year-old who was brutally beaten and left for dead on Long Island.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Valerie Owusu and Emmanuel Addae were convicted on March 22, nearly three years after Owusu’s son, King, was found dead in a home 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,” District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a press release.

Tierney’s statement continued, “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.”

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Prosecutors alleged Owusu and Addae beat the child with “at least four different instruments” over a three-day period in 2021. The boy’s condition deteriorated, and he eventually lost consciousness.

Neither Owusu nor Addae called 911 or provided medical care for King, prosecutors said.

On April 1, 2021, the boy was brought to a family member’s house, where Addae and Owusu left him. When the family member returned home, prosecutors said, King was found dead.

Authorities determined that the boy had suffered numerous injuries from “head to toe” as part of the beatings.

Owusu and Addae face up to life in prison and are scheduled to be sentenced on May 1.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.