The Central Regional Police Command has confirmed the death of a 17 year old final year student of Mfantsipim Senior High School in Cape Coast, identified as Emmanuel Arthur, in what authorities say is a suspected suicide case.
According to police information, the deceased was discovered in an uncompleted building at Ola North, a suburb of Cape Coast, after a carpenter working at the site reported the incident to law enforcement officials.
Police officers who responded to the scene on June 11, 2026, found the body and immediately secured the area for further examination. A subsequent search of the location led to the discovery of a black backpack belonging to the student, which contained academic materials including a Geography Paper 1 mock examination paper bearing his name.
Investigators also retrieved two mobile phones, one Android device and a smaller feature phone commonly referred to as a “yam” phone, along with other personal items believed to belong to the deceased.
Authorities at Mfantsipim School later confirmed that the deceased was indeed a final year student of the institution, bringing official clarity to his identity.
The body was subsequently conveyed to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, where a pathologist confirmed significant decomposition before release to the family. Following this confirmation, the remains were handed over to the parents for burial arrangements.
Police further indicated that the building where the incident occurred was later fumigated as part of standard public health and investigative procedures.
While preliminary investigations have concluded that the student died by suicide, authorities say the circumstances that may have led to the tragic incident remain unclear and are still under review.
The incident has drawn attention to student welfare and mental health concerns, particularly among final year students preparing for examinations, as investigations continue into the events surrounding the death.
