Family of Ehiamenkyene murder victim petitions IGP for justice as she is laid to rest

Correspondence from the Eastern Region

The grieving Ehiamenkyene community on Saturday, January 3, 2026, turned the burial of Evelyn Osakonor into a public appeal for justice, accusing the police of delays and warning of rising fear and tension as the prime suspect in her November murder 2025 murder remains at large.

The Borboryo family and residents of Ehiamenkyene in the Fanteakwa District of the Eastern Region have renewed calls on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), (COP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, to urgently intervene in the investigation into the murder of Evelyn Osakonor, popularly known as Koryo or Koryotsu, following what they describe as months of slow and inconclusive police action.

The appeal was made on Saturday, January 3, 2026, during the burial and funeral rites of the deceased, which drew scores of residents, youth and family members, many of whom expressed frustration and fear over the continued freedom of the prime suspect.

Evelyn Osakonor, a market food vendor and mother of a three-year-old daughter, was allegedly murdered in the early hours of November 13, 2025.

Her lifeless body was later discovered in a pool of blood at the corridor of a guest house said to belong to her boyfriend, Teye James, also known in the community as “James Born” or “James Bond,” who has since gone into hiding.

Speaking on behalf of the community, the President of the Ehiamenkyene Youth Association, Raphael Odonkor, read a petition addressed to the IGP at a press conference held as part of the funeral activities.

The petition accused the local police of failing to act decisively despite multiple reports from residents claiming to have sighted the suspect at various locations.

“The slow pace and apparent lack of urgency in this investigation has created fear, anxiety and growing dissatisfaction among residents, while undermining public confidence in law enforcement,” the petition stated, adding that “justice delayed is justice denied.”

According to the family, Evelyn was reported missing on the morning of November 13, 2025, after repeated attempts to locate her proved futile. The search eventually led relatives and friends to the residence and guest house of her boyfriend, where her body was found.

The matter was reported to the police, and her body was deposited at the morgue for autopsy.

However, the family says that since the autopsy was conducted, there has been little visible progress in arresting the suspect or providing updates on the status of investigations.

Family head, Anthony Freeman Narh, described Evelyn as calm, respectful and well-loved in the community, noting that her death had left the family devastated.

He disclosed that the family had earlier disapproved of her relationship with the suspect due to concerns about his character and had even rejected a marriage proposal.

“We didn’t like the boy’s character, so we disapproved of the relationship. Evelyn was very peaceful and on good terms with everyone. Her death is very painful,” he said.

In a separate interview, Odonkor alleged that the suspect had a history of violence against Evelyn, including previous physical assaults that were reported to the police, resulting in him signing a bond of good behaviour.

“There were multiple stab wounds on her body. He had beaten her on several occasions before. We kept reporting sightings of him to the police, but nothing happened.

"The community is living in fear,” he said, warning that youth in the area were growing impatient and threatening to take matters into their own hands if no arrests are made.

The petition, copied to the President of the Republic, the Minister of the Interior, the Eastern Regional Minister and police commanders at the regional and district levels, calls for professionalism, transparency and regular updates from the Ghana Police Service.

The family and community are demanding swift action to apprehend the suspect and restore calm to Ehiamenkyene.

As mourners laid Evelyn Osakonor to rest, the dominant message was not only grief, but a firm demand for justice — and a plea that her death should not be added to the list of unresolved crimes.