The Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has arrested a 25-year-old fetish priest and herbalist in connection with the gruesome murder of Joyce Akua Ampomaa, a 40-year-old trader from Akweley in Kasoa, whose mutilated body was discovered at Awutu Bentum near Jei Krodua in the Central Region.
According to police investigations, the incident came to light on March 10, 2026, after the Asafoatse of Awutu Bentum reported to the Jei Krodua Police Station that the mutilated body of an adult female had been discovered in a bush on the outskirts of the town.
Police officers who proceeded to the scene found the body with the head and both legs severed.
The remains were subsequently conveyed to the Police Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy, where the deceased was later identified as Joyce Akua Ampomaa.
Investigations established that the deceased had previously sought herbal treatment from the suspect in 2025 for a swollen leg condition.
Police say on March 4, 2026, the deceased reportedly visited the suspect again to seek spiritual assistance to protect her business.
After consultations at his shrine, the suspect allegedly lured the victim into a nearby bush under the pretext of collecting herbs.
Investigators say the suspect attacked her from behind with a cutlass, killed her, dismembered the body, concealed the remains in the bush and allegedly took away some body parts.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly admitted to committing the offence and disclosed that he had buried the deceased’s head at Mafi Avedo in the Volta Region and the legs at his residence at Awutu Bentum.
The suspect was subsequently arraigned before the Adabraka District Court on March 13, 2026, where he was remanded into police custody.
The court later granted a Motion Ex Parte for an exhumation order to enable police investigators retrieve the buried body parts.
On March 17, 2026, the suspect led investigators to Mafi Avedo in the Volta Region, where the deceased’s head was exhumed and deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary.
The following day, March 18, 2026, the suspect further led police investigators to the crime scene at Awutu Bentum for a reconstruction of the incident.
At the scene, located about half a kilometre from Awutu Bentum on a cassava farm, the suspect reportedly identified the exact location where he attacked the deceased, where he dumped the body and a pit where he claimed to have buried bloodstained items.
Police say investigators observed disturbed vegetation at the scene, consistent with attempts to conceal the body.
The suspect later led investigators to his residence, located opposite the Chief’s Palace, where the deceased’s legs were exhumed by a pathologist.
Police also retrieved the destroyed mobile phones of the deceased from a nearby bush and a latrine after the suspect allegedly admitted to destroying and disposing of them.
Investigators further revealed that enraged community members had demolished the suspect’s shrine and residence following the incident, affecting the retrieval of the suspected murder weapon and other exhibits linked to the crime.
All recovered body parts have since been deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy while investigations continue.
The Ghana Police Service has commended investigators and collaborating units for their professionalism and dedication in handling the case.
By Peter Quao Adattor/paqmediagh
