A couple from Queens has each received a prison sentence of 25 years to life for beating their five-year-old son to death.
Between March 30 and April 1, 2021, Valerie Owusu and Emmanuel Addae brutally beat her son, King Owusu, with multiple instruments inside of their apartment in Lefrak City, Queens. The couple watched King’s physical condition deteriorate for approximately three days until King lost consciousness. During that time, both Owusu and Addae did not call 911, take King to the doctor, or provide any medical care to the child.
On April 1, 2021, Owusu and Addae brought King to a family member’s home in Brentwood where succumbed to his injuries. The Suffolk County Police Department was called to the home after another family discovered that the boy was deceased. The child was taken to Southside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The medical examiner who conducted the child’s autopsy testified that King was beaten from head to toe, and that his injuries, which were too numerous to count, caused his death.
On March 22, 2024, Owusu and Addae were convicted of second-degree murder, a Class A felony, after a jury trial heard before Supreme Court Judge Steven A. Pilewski. On May 1, 2024, Pilewski sentenced both Owusu and Addae to 25 years to life in prison.
“The jury has spoken, but unfortunately, that will not bring back this young boy,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Notwithstanding such tragedy, this case highlights our resolve to protect the innocence of every child in Suffolk County and to bring accountability to those who would dare harm them.”