A young man whose body was discovered inside a large black bag on a quiet Brooklyn sidewalk has been identified as Joseph Owusu, a 24-year-old Ghanaian church musician and caregiver remembered by those who knew him as gentle, hardworking, and deeply devoted to his faith.

Owusu’s body was found on the morning of October 30, 2026, near East 93rd Street and Avenue L in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, outside a church. Surveillance video shows two people arriving in a white sedan in the early hours of that morning. One person removed a heavy black bag from the trunk while another stood nearby. The bag was left on the sidewalk before the vehicle drove away. Later that morning, a man searching for scrap metal opened the bag and discovered the body inside, prompting police to respond.

As of early November 2026, the New York City Medical Examiner’s office had not yet released an official cause of death. No arrests have been announced in connection with the case.

Owusu lived in the Olinville area of the Bronx. Neighbors and community members described him as a quiet, well-mannered young man who regularly attended services at a Ghanaian Methodist church in the borough. He played the piano and organ, often performing gospel music, and served as a chorister. Residents recalled him practicing in the hallway of his apartment building and greeting people with warmth.

“He could walk into a room and light up a room,” said neighbor Derrick Jackson, who last spoke with Owusu the day before his body was found. Another longtime resident who grew up around the Owusu family said the household was closely tied to the church and that Joseph was known as a good and respectful person. Family members worked hard and were not involved in trouble, according to those who knew them.

According to the Embᴀssy of Ghana, Owusu worked as a caregiver for people with disabilities. His brother, Koho Yeboah, said Joseph had ambitions to study computer science but never got the chance. Yeboah described his brother as someone who loved the church and spent long hours perfecting his music so he would not make mistakes. Church members noted that Owusu was skilled enough to fill in for the choir director when needed.

In a public statement, the Embᴀssy of Ghana described Owusu as a beloved son and brother whose sudden death has left his family and the wider community in deep mourning.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation by the New York Police Department. Family members have called for justice and expressed the pain of losing a young man they remembered as kind, talented, and full of potential.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the authorities.