Two jurors have withdrawn from the trial of a 28-year-old architect accused of murdering two children at Abesim in the Bono Region.

When the case was called on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, the presiding judge, Justice Ruby Aryeetey, informed both the defence and state attorneys that the foreman of the seven-member jury had formally communicated his decision to step down through a letter to the court.

The reasons stated in the letter were not disclosed in open court.

Additionally, another juror expressed his preference to be replaced, but the judge directed him to submit an official request in writing.

The case has been adjourned to March 27, 2025.

Background

Richard Appiah is alleged to have murdered his stepbrother and two other children, aged between 12 and 15 years.

Following reports to the police on August 20, 2021, officers discovered the dismembered body of one of the victims stored in a fridge, while two other bodies were found in separate rooms in Appiah’s residence.

Further investigations led police to a cocoa farm in Abesim, where they unearthed intestines believed to belong to one of the victims. These remains were exhumed for forensic analysis.

Two bloodstained machetes were also retrieved from the scene.