Murdered Pastor Autopsy Report Out

Pathologists at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital have finally released the autopsy findings of the 75-year-old murdered British-American evangelist, Reverend Sidney Thomas Barnes, to the police.

The autopsy report indicated that the pastor suffered multiple stabs, lacerations and haemorrhage leading to his death.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Court adjourned the case to Wednesday December 1, 2010, as November 16, 2010 which was scheduled for prosecution to begin the committal proceedings, was a statutory public holiday.

Meanwhile, Stephen Torsu, who is now the Acting Principal of Prestige Secretarial and Computer School, was in court with a host of others to lend their support to Pastor Pardmore and Issaka Mohammed who are both employees of the institute.

Rev. Sidney Thomas Barnes was allegedly stabbed to death by his employee, Kofi Seidu, who was also his long time confidant.

The 32-year-old Kofi Seidu who doubled as the driver and the farm manager for Rev Barnes mentioned his embattled friend Issaka Mohammed and Pastor Padmore Goodwill, the business partner of the Rev Barnes, as his accomplices. Currently, out of the three accused persons, only Pastor Padmore has legal representation in the person of George Asamaney.

The father of two who was arrested in September is said to have broken down on October 4 and confessed the killing to the police while in cells at the Police Headquarters.

Seidu was detailed by Pastor Padmore to pick up his boss who was expected to arrive in the country on March 18, 2010, after a-six-month holiday in the Americas and Britain.

He was however reported missing until the confessions of his confidant revealed that he had been murdered at Adawso, in the Eastern Region while being driven to Koforidua.

He was buried in a well on his pawpaw and pineapple farm at Akwamu-Amanfo near Nsawam Adoagyiri. Seidu later led investigators and pathologists to the unmarked grave where the remains of Rev. Barnes were retrieved. Pathologists from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on October 13, 2010 carried out an autopsy examination on the body which result has just been made public.

After the retrieval of the body, two representatives from the Calvary Chapel, USA, Reverends Phil Twente and Edwin Cornwell, were delegated to Ghana in preparation of the burial of the late Rev. Barnes.

The two had the remains cremated at the Osu cemetery in Accra, and also paid a visit to the confessed killer and his wife. Police say the emotional meeting between the two men of God and the suspected murderer made the latter accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and personal saviour.

Seidu also asked for their forgiveness and continuous prayers.

Reverends Twente and Cornwell also visited the farms and the Prestige Secretarial and Computer School while they were still in the country. On Saturday October 30, 2010, the two missionaries left with the ashes of Rev Barnes to America, where they hoped to give him a befitting burial.

The Land Rover vehicle, with registration number WR 418 P, which was used to convey the deceased and later sold after the gory act at Adawso, has since been recovered from the buyer at Sefwi in the Western region.

Police sources say the deceased had earlier in an e-mail instructed Seidu to sell some cattle on his behalf before his return to Ghana while he was on holiday in the Americas.

However, Seidu had vehemently denied that the deceased had a cattle ranch while he was alive The three have since been arraigned before the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Court and charged on two counts of conspiracy and murder.

However, their pleas have never been taken. They have been remanded into police custody to re-appear on December 1, 2010.