The man found dead in a trash bag in Brooklyn last week has been identified as Joseph Owusu, a 24-year-old devout churchgoer and pianist from Ghana, according to neighbors and the Embassy of Ghana.
Owusu's body was discovered around 9:20 a.m. on October 30 outside a church on East 93rd Street and Avenue L in Canarsie. Surveillance footage shows an individual unloading a large black bag, containing Owusu's body, from the trunk of a white sedan before abandoning it on the sidewalk.
Neighbors in the Olinville section of the Bronx, where Owusu lived, described him as a charming and delightful person who regularly attended church. "He could walk into a room and light up a room," said neighbor Derrick Jackson, 55. "I saw him the day before, just here in the hallway. It was just regular, ‘Hey what’s going on, all right, have a blessed day.’ That’s it.”
Owusu worked as a caregiver for individuals with disabilities and was a chorister at his local Methodist church. The Embassy of Ghana stated on Facebook that he is remembered as a beloved son and brother, and his "tragic loss has left his family and community devastated."
Jackson recalled Owusu frequently playing gospel tunes on his keyboard in the hallway, describing him as someone who was always working and "doing something productive."
Owusu's body was found when a homeless man scavenging for scrap metal discovered the bag and dragged it down the block. The bag also reportedly contained wires and pieces of scrap metal, according to law enforcement sources. The cause of death remains under investigation by the police.