A New York couple, both aged 28, are facing potential life sentences following their conviction for the brutal murder of a 5-year-old boy. The child, King Owusu, was the son of one of the defendants, Valerie Owusu. Her boyfriend, Emmanuel Addae, was also found guilty of the same charges. The verdict was delivered by a Suffolk County jury on Friday, following a trial that lasted over two weeks.
The couple was found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2021 death of young King Owusu. The trial was presided over by Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney commented on the case, stating that the child had suffered for days from severe injuries inflicted by the defendants, one of whom was his own mother.
The District Attorney’s office released a statement detailing the horrific abuse King endured. Over a three-day period, from March 30 to April 1, Owusu and Addae used at least four different weapons to beat the child in their Queens apartment. The couple then watched as King’s condition deteriorated over several days until he lost consciousness.
Despite the child’s worsening condition, Owusu and Addae did not seek medical help. Instead, they transported him to the home of Addae’s parents in Long Island, New York. The couple left the unconscious child at the residence, where he was later found deceased by a family member. The Suffolk County Police Department was alerted, and the child was pronounced dead at Southside Hospital.
Following the abandonment of the child, Owusu and Addae returned to Queens and took their shared daughter shopping, as reported by Newsday. A subsequent search of their residence revealed a belt and several broken sticks, believed to be the weapons used in the assault.
The severity of King’s injuries was highlighted during the trial by the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy. The examiner testified that the child had been beaten from head to toe, and his numerous injuries were the cause of his death.
Owusu and Addae are due back in court for their sentencing hearing on May 1. They face a potential sentence of 25 years to life in a state detention facility.