Beloved Southern Illinois Professor Kofi Akamani shot and killed; wife charged with murder

Students and staff at Southern Illinois University are mourning Professor Kofi Akamani, who was shot and killed Saturday, Sept. 19, in Jackson County, Illinois.

Akamani, 48, spent 15 years teaching forest recreation and conservation social science at the university and earned broad respect on campus and beyond.

Authorities say deputies found him critically wounded near Lake Road between Murphysboro and Carbondale. He was taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead.

His wife, Betty Akamani, 35, was arrested and faces murder charges.

Campus Remembers a Beloved Educator

Students, faculty and community members gathered Tuesday for a candlelight vigil outside SIU’s Agriculture Building, the Daily Egyptian reported. They described Akamani as a gentle, brilliant educator who inspired students in the classroom and on field excursions to places like the Grand Canyon and Acadia National Park.

Colleagues said he had a rare ability to command attention without raising his voice.

“He raised the collective intelligence of any room he walked into, and he did it so gently that you didn’t notice it happening until afterward,” said Logan Park, an associate professor at SIU.

Professor Kofi Akamani Was A Global Scholar With Deep Roots

Akamani was born and raised in Ghana. He earned degrees from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the University of Oslo, and the University of Idaho, where he completed his doctorate in 2011.

He joined SIU later that year and became a full professor in 2024. His research contributed to national and international environmental assessments, including the U.S. Fifth National Climate Assessment.

GoFundMe Launched for His Children

Akamani’s family launched a GoFundMe to support his children as the community continues to grieve his loss.

“His death has left an emptiness that words cannot fully express, and two children now have to face life without their father.”