The funeral for the late CEO of Royal Cosy Hills Hotel in Jirapa, Mr. Eric Johnson, took place on Saturday, June 1, 2024, following a requiem service.
The 60-year-old, who was tragically murdered, is survived by his three children—Grace Johnson, Karen Johnson, and Elfreda Erica Johnson—and two grandchildren.
The service, held at Nayiri Park in Jirapa, Upper West Region, drew family, friends, and well-wishers. A traditional mourning ceremony had been observed the previous day, on May 31, 2024.
Background
Mr. Eric Johnson, a businessman, was brutally stabbed to death by unknown assailants at his home on February 11, 2024, and was discovered in a pool of blood the following morning, according to a police situational report.
The motive for the crime remains unclear, but seven individuals, including hotel staff, have been arrested and are assisting the police with their investigations. The suspects are Dookuuri Fausta, Braimah Kasim, Beyuo Felix, Michael Klugey, all employees at Cosy Hill Hotel, and Kumbata Kwaku. Charles Tuoze and Favour Nuobe, also employees of Cosy Hill Hotel, are among those detained.
Recent forensic investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service suggest that Elisha Mahama, a Human Resource Manager who had worked at Royal Cosy Hills Hotel, is likely the perpetrator of the murder.
Loretta Asare, Mr. Mahama’s girlfriend and also a suspect, stated that Mr. Mahama left home on Saturday, February 10, 2024, claiming he was going to get food but returned at 2:20 am on Sunday, February 11, 2024, without it, saying he had forgotten to take money.
The murder of Mr. Eric Johnson was discovered on the morning of February 11, 2024.
The CID’s thorough investigations reveal that “latent impressions lifted from a glass wine shelf in the main living room of the deceased are identical in every aspect to the left middle fingerprint of suspect Elisha Mahama on his CID form.”
Furthermore, “the investigative reports also indicated that blood-tainted footprints have been found to be similar to those of suspect Elisha Mahama on his plain sheet.”
It has been confirmed that Mr. Elisha Mahama was present at the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel when he made a nine-minute call to Belinda Millah, another suspect, from the hotel’s coordinates.
The cause of Eric Johnson’s death has been determined to be asphyxiation, strangulation, suspected homicide, and severe blood loss.
A “mysterious” injury on Mr. Elisha Mahama’s right middle finger, which appeared on Sunday, February 11, 2024, suggests a likely struggle with the deceased.
This injury, according to suspects Ms. Loretta Asare and Joshua Tabiri, appeared only on February 11, 2024.
These findings position Mr. Elisha Mahama as the prime suspect, potentially in collaboration with others, in the murder of the respected entrepreneur.
