Betty Akamani appears in court over death of SIU professor

Betty Akamani appeared in court in Jackson County, Illinois, on Monday, 21 September 2026, after being charged in connection with the death of her husband, Ghanaian university professor Dr Kofi Akamani.

According to local broadcaster KFVS, the 35-year-old faces two counts of felony first-degree murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child. She was denied release at Monday’s hearing and remains in Jackson County Jail.

What happens next?

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 6 October, KFVS reports. A preliminary hearing is an early stage of the case; the charges have not been decided at trial. The report does not say that Betty Akamani entered a plea at Monday’s appearance, so Linguist News is not attributing one to her.

Prosecutors allege that she shot Dr Akamani multiple times while he sat in his car outside her home in Murphysboro. KFVS says court records and the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office indicate the couple had been separated for two years and were in the process of divorcing. These are reported allegations and background to the case, not a finding of guilt or an established motive.

Authorities have not publicly explained the factual basis of the child endangerment charge in the reporting available to us. The charge alone does not establish that a child was physically injured.

The professor’s death

Deputies responded to a shooting at about 5 p.m. on Saturday, 19 September. Dr Akamani, 48, was taken to a hospital in Carbondale, where he died. He was a professor of forest recreation and conservation social science at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale, according to his university profile.

SIU has expressed condolences to his family, colleagues and students. The university’s forestry community has announced a vigil.

Betty Akamani is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. We will update this story if the court or authorities release further verified details.