Guilty Verdict for Couple in the Beating Death of 5-Year-Old King Owusu
(Courtesy Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office)
In a deeply troubling case that has gripped Suffolk County, a woman and her boyfriend, both 28 years old, have been found guilty of the murder of her 5-year-old son, following a brutal series of assaults involving various objects in 2021. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office disclosed on Friday, March 22, that Valerie Owusu and Emmanuel Addae were convicted by a jury for the second-degree murder of King Owusu. The conviction carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for May.
The prosecution laid out a harrowing timeline, revealing that between March 30 and April 1, 2021, the couple engaged in a severe beating of the young boy using at least four different instruments within the confines of their residence. Over these three days, King Owusu’s condition gravely deteriorated; however, despite witnessing his decline, Valerie Owusu and Addae failed to seek emergency medical intervention, neglecting to call 911, take him to a hospital, or provide any form of medical care.
The culmination of these tragic events was on April 1, 2021, when the defendants transported the severely injured child to a relative’s home, essentially abandoning him in a critically compromised state. It was there that a family member returned home to the devastating sight of King Owusu deceased and promptly contacted the Suffolk County Police Department. Responding officers found the boy and immediately rushed him to Southside Hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead, according to a report from Newsday.
Further investigations into this heart-wrenching case by the medical examiner’s office unveiled the extent of the violence inflicted upon King Owusu, noting that the child had been “beaten from head to toe.” The autopsy report highlighted that the multitude of injuries, too numerous to count, directly led to his untimely death.
The arrest of Valerie Owusu and Addae came over a year after the incident, in mid-April 2022, attributed to jurisdictional complications and the exhaustive nature of the investigative process, as reported by WABC-TV.
Additionally, it has been reported that the couple had another child, who, in the aftermath of these events, has been placed under the care of Suffolk County Child Protective Services, ensuring the child’s safety from potential harm.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney commented on the case, emphasizing the sheer brutality and the prolonged suffering endured by King Owusu at the hands of his mother and her partner. The District Attorney stressed the tragic loss of a young life, subjected to days of relentless abuse, which ultimately led to a fatal culmination of extensive injuries.
