A Richmond Township man has been sentenced to 15 to 30 years in state prison after pleading guilty to killing his wife in 2023.
Harrison Adu Boakye, 46, of the first block of Middletown Road pleaded guilty in Berks County Court on Thursday to voluntary manslaughter and strangulation in the July 7, 2023, death of his wife, 33-year-old Winifred Boakye.
Boakye was sentenced by Judge Patrick T. Barrett.
Counts of first- and third-degree murder, and aggravated and simple assault were dismissed.
Boakye was arrested by Fleetwood police following a domestic incident that took the life of his wife.
According to police:
Fleetwood police, who patrol Richmond Township, responded to a report of a domestic incident around 8:25 a.m. on July 7, 2023 at a home in the first block of Middleton Road.
Officers found Winifred Boakye unresponsive inside a bathroom on the second floor of the residence. Lifesaving measures were initiated by responding officers and emergency personnel, but they failed.
She was pronounced dead at the scene around 10:15 a.m.
A detective interviewed a 17-year-old witness at the scene who said Harrison Boakye and Winifred Boakye had been arguing and the situation devolved into a physical fight.
He said that following the altercation, Harrison Boakye had come downstairs with blood on his shirt, told him that Winifred had bitten him and said she had threatened to hurt the children in the home.
Harrison Boakye then drove himself to the police station to report the incident.
He was taken to Penn State Health St. Joseph hospital for treatment on a fractured right arm.
Investigators said no bite marks were found on Harrison Boakye’s body.
Winifred Boakye had blood around her mouth as well as bruising and scratches on her neck. Clumps of what appeared to be her hair were found on the floor near her body.
An autopsy determined she was killed by manual strangulation.
Where to find help
Call 9-1-1 if you or someone you know are in immediate danger.
To seek the help of an advocate or to contact Safe Berks, call the 24-hour hotline, 844-789-SAFE (7233) or text SAFE BERKS to 20121.
Safe Berks provides free and confidential services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault 24 hours a day. All services are available in English and Spanish, and translation will be used for any other language needed.