NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Valerie Owusu and Emmanuel Addae were found guilty of murder on Friday in relation to the 2021 beating death of Owusu’s five-year-old son, King.
A two-and-a-half week jury trial led to a guilty verdict convicting Owusu and Addae of second-degree murder, a class A felony.
The evidence established that between March 30 and April 1, 2021, the two defendants beat King with at least four different instruments inside of their Queens apartment, located in LeFrak City.
“The couple watched King’s physical condition deteriorate for approximately three days,” and did not call 911, seek medical care or provide any medical treatment to the child, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said.
On April 1, 2021, the couple took King to a family member’s home in Brentwood, on Long Island, and left him to die.
That same day a family member returned home and found King. Authorities, including the Suffolk County Police Department, were alerted.
King was rushed to Southside Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The medical examiner who conducted King’s autopsy testified that King “was beaten from head to toe” and that his death was caused by his injuries, “which were too numerous to count.”
According to Newsday, Odette Hall testified that the autopsy revealed that King suffered internal bleeding, tissue injuries, lung and brain damage and sustained over 100 cuts and bruises.
Addae's attorney, Raymond Baierlein, claimed that the jury was swayed by emotion. Owusu's attorney, Rene Myatt, of Queens, agreed and was "completely devastated by the verdict," Newsday reported.
“It's evident that the jury was swayed by emotion,” Baierlein reportedly said. “If you look very closely at this, and you apply the law, they might have come to a different conclusion. But the emotion was very strong, given the age and nature of the victim.
“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 Ray Tierney said. “The defendants have been held accountable for this horrific crime.”
Both defendants face 25 years to life in prison, and are expected in court on May 1 for sentencing.