Ghanaian SIU professor Kofi Akamani killed in Illinois; wife charged

Ghanaian academic Dr Kofi Akamani, a forestry professor at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale, died after being shot in Jackson County, Illinois, on Saturday, 19 September 2026. He was 48.

According to local broadcaster KFVS, citing the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a shooting at about 5 p.m. Dr Akamani was taken to a hospital in Carbondale, where he died.

What has happened in the case?

His wife, Betty Akamani, 35, was charged on Monday, 21 September, with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child, KFVS reported. These are charges, not findings of guilt.

Local reporting, citing court records and the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office, says prosecutors allege she shot him while he was sitting in a car outside her Murphysboro home. The same report says the couple had been separated and were going through a divorce. Those details form part of the reported prosecution account; the circumstances remain subject to the legal process.

KFVS reported that a court denied her release at a hearing on 21 September and scheduled a preliminary hearing for 6 October. The child endangerment charge does not establish that a child was physically harmed. The publicly reported details do not explain the basis of that charge.

Who was Dr Akamani?

SIU’s faculty profile describes him as a professor of forest recreation and conservation social science. His work examined the resilience of rural communities and how forests, water and agricultural landscapes are governed in Ghana and the United States.

In a statement carried by KFVS, SIU offered condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and students. The university’s forestry community also announced a vigil.

The case is ongoing. Betty Akamani is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Linguist News will update this report if authorities release further verified information.