The Ghanaian community in New York has been plunged into fresh mourning following the reported discovery of the body of a 24-year-old compatriot, Joseph Owusu, at a dumpsite in the Bronx, about two weeks after he went missing.
Owusu, a member and organist of the Ghana United Methodist Church in the Bronx, was reportedly found among refuse by a scrap collector.
News of his death, which emerged on Tuesday, November 3, has deepened grief among Ghanaians in the United States, coming just days after the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong in the same New York borough.
Members of Owusu’s church community remembered him as a dedicated musician whose service through music and warm personality endeared him to the congregation.
His death has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and how his body came to be found at the dumpsite.
Another loss for Ghanaian community
The development follows the killing of Javits Frimpong, who was shot dead on October 29, 2026, while on his way to school in the Bronx.
The 15-year-old was reportedly chased before being shot near Crotona Park. He was taken to hospital but later died.
Police were reported to be searching for three teenage suspects, with no arrests announced in the initial reports.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the government will work with United States authorities to pursue justice for Javits.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also assured the teenager’s family of government support and appropriate consular assistance.
