Berks County Detectives have charged a Ghanaian man with aggravated assault and launched a death investigation after his wife was found dead at a Richmond Township residence Friday morning.
Investigators say just before 8:30 a.m., Fleetwood Police were dispatched to a domestic situation in the unit block of Middletown Road.
Upon arrival, officers found a 33-year-old woman unresponsive inside the residence. Responding officers and EMS performed life saving measures but were unsuccessful. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Berks Detectives initiated a death investigation and 46-year-old Harrison Boakye was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault.
“A coroner’s van pulled in, first it was an ambulance, so we knew something was wrong,” said Hartman.
Hartman said the woman was Boakye’s partner, and the couple had been fighting in the past, as quoted in Wfmz.com report.
Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name. Property records show the home is owned by Harrison and Winifred Boakye.
“Due to knowing domestic issues prior, we kind of thought maybe she’d had enough. We weren’t sure, but yeah so we were very shocked when we did hear that she was deceased,” said Hartman.
Hartman also said the couple have two kids, and she asked a detective if they were safe.
“He told us what he could. He said domestic, and then we said are the kids okay? And he said yes,” said Hartman.
Boakye is now facing charges of simple and aggravated assault, but his court docket specifically says “depending upon results of autopsy, murder charges may be filed.”
“The thing is you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. They seemed like the perfect family. They just put new equipment out there for the kids,” said Hartman.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams said the autopsy will be performed on Monday. The cause of death and any new charges connected with that will likely be announced on Tuesday.
