The Kaneshie District Court has ordered 33-year-old artist Joshua Kerry Arthur to be held in custody over the alleged murder of University of Education professor Amedeker Mawuadem.
Presiding judge Nana Abena Asoh Owusu-Omenyo remanded the accused without plea during Tuesday’s hearing, with the case adjourned until June 23.
Police prosecutor Chief Inspector Margaret Ofori Boadi presented evidence alleging Arthur scaled the walls of the 71-year-old professor’s Winneba residence on May 21 before hiding on the property and carrying out a fatal morning attack. Investigators claim the suspect buried the victim in the compound and attempted to flee with the professor’s Toyota Fortuner vehicle and personal belongings, including a television set.
The case came to light when university colleagues reported the professor’s unexplained absence. Officers responding to the Gyahadze residence discovered Arthur hiding in a guava tree, with subsequent searches uncovering blood evidence and the shallow grave containing the victim’s body wrapped in an academic gown.
Professor Mawuadem’s remains have been transferred to the Police Hospital morgue for autopsy as investigations continue. The case marks one of the most serious violent crimes involving a Ghanaian academic in recent years, occurring amid ongoing national discussions about elder safety and residential security measures.
