There is no denying the fact that every living organism on Earth has an end. However, the tragic circumstances surrounding young Ghanaian actress Suzzy Williams' sudden death caused a significant public outburst that erupted throughout Ghana and beyond like a volcanic eruption.

Born in 1982 and baptized Suzzy Lebene Malike Williams, the late actress grew up in Darkuman (a suburb of Accra, the nation's capital) and always aspired to be in show business; unlike some of her colleagues, who did not plan to pursue a career in that industry but somehow found themselves therein.

It is in view of this that during her days in Tema Senior Secondary School (now Tema Senior High School), simply known as TEMASCO, she was not only a regular entertainer at entertainment events but was also an active member of the school's drama club. Due to her flair for acting, Suzzy was adjudged

'Best Actress' in an inter-schools drama competition organised for drama clubs of the various second-cycle educational institutions within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Obviously buoyed up by that achievement, the lass, immediately after completing her senior secondary school (senior high school) education at TEMASCO, dived straight into 'Ghallywood' (as Ghana's film industry is informally called). After all, she possessed all the key qualities expected of an actress, which
could be summed up in six words: talented, intelligent, confident, articulate, bold, and sexy!

Just like Michael Jackson, Suzzy Williams, in no time, 'moonwalked' her way into the hearts of the Ghanaian public, dazzling them with her acting skills and sex appeal. Barely had she entered Ghana's ever-changing world of entertainment when she stole the limelight and subsequently hit the big time in show business.

As an actress, she was often cast in the mould of Sharon Stone and would eventually be nicknamed after the accomplished American actress. The Ghanaian screen goddess earned her spurs in Ghanaian films such as "Superstar," "My Mother's Heart," and Ghanaian-Nigerian collaborations like "Lover Boy in
Ghana" and "Official Prostitute" (titled differently for the Nigerian market as "Cry of a Woman").

In her five-year acting career, Suzzy did not restrict herself to feature films; she also took the opportunity to star in Ghanaian TV series, including "Things We Do For Love" (appearing only in episode 24), "Sun City," "Tentacles," "Bloody Mary," and others.

To support her acting career, which is always subject to the ravages of time, the versatile actress also became an advertising model for several brands and products in Ghana. Additionally, she appeared as a video vixen in Ghanaian music videos: "Apuskeleke" (Sidney), "Ah" (Reggie Rockstone featuring K.K. Fosu), "Ahomka Womu" (V.I.P.), and "Osrobokye Remix" (Akasanoma & Dr. Paa Bobo).

Essentially, the Ghanaian diva was proactive in leveraging her brand to earn substantial sums of money, trading her extraordinarily beautiful looks for a showbiz career that promised to bring her not only fame but also fortune.

Several factors contributed to her meteoric rise in Ghana's entertainment industry beyond her prodigious talents. It cannot be denied that her magnetic presence and pleasant looks, coupled with her friendly and sunny personality, significantly contributed to making her a 'hotcake' – a star that almost every filmmaker in the country wanted to have in their films.

Suzzy's perfectly slim body demanded sartorial elegance, and she never disappointed in adorning herself in chic attire and elaborate accessories. As expected, her modish appearance often drove men, even the holiest of them, crazy! In fact, the stunningly beautiful actress was a cynosure of all eyes (excluding the visually-impaired ones, unfortunately).

So angelic and attractive was Suzzy Williams that her fellow 'daughters of Eve' possibly wished they could literally put their men in dog chains whenever the vivacious actress stepped out of her home in her fineries. Indeed, Ghana's Sharon Stone was the toast of the country's entertainment industry back in those days.

It is worth mentioning that very few Ghanaian showbiz personalities or celebrities ever managed to capture the public’s attention as Suzzy did in her short-lived showbiz career.

Considering her exquisite acting skills, had the talented Ghanaian actress found herself in a film industry with structures that uphold excellence like Hollywood or Bollywood, she might have become a global sensation like Kate Winslet and Priyanka Chopra, even though the aforementioned top-tier film industries don't promise glitz and glamour.

Anyone familiar with the world of showbiz would attest that it isn't enough to have top-notch talent without the necessary structures to propel them onto the global stage.

Despite being a diamond in a 'war zone', Suzzy still resolved to follow her dream of achieving recognition beyond her homeland. Her determination to break into the international scene, despite numerous

obstacles, led her to sign two strategic deals with a South African production company and a German-based film agency in early 2005.. At that point, it could be said that this enterprising young talent was on the cusp of international stardom.

It was, therefore, sad and shocking when news broke in September 2005 that Suzzy Lebene Malike Williams had tragically passed away in a horrific road accident.

A day before her unexpected death, Suzzy and her Liberian boyfriend, Edwin Taylor (also known as Edwin Eastman), who was an aspiring musician and basketball player, went on a wild and exciting outing in Suzzy's Mitsubishi Pajero Junior, which had the registration number GW 818 W.

The grapevine had it that the lovebirds tooled around almost the entire city of Accra, hopping from one club and pub to another; a seemingly fun expedition which ran into the early hours of the following day – Thursday 8th September, 2005 – a day that the actress's fans would rather forget but will always remember.

At Joker's Nightclub in Osu (in Accra), the two 'party animals' at last decided to head home. Those who saw them leave 'Jokers' at about 1 am on that fateful Thursday said they sped off as if the car were a space shuttle heading to space. Apparently, the intoxication that often accompanies fame and fortune had taken hold of Suzzy, and perhaps her Liberian boo, too, who was said to be the one behind the wheel of the "space shuttle".

On their way to Edwin’s private residence at Nungua Barrier, a suburb of Accra, where they had both obviously planned to spend the night together after the outing (probably for "ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta....."), the four-wheeled Mitsubishi vehicle they were in skidded off the road and somersaulted multiple times at the
T-junction in front of the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, where Giffard Road meets La Beach Road.

According to eyewitness accounts, the glamorous actress was violently thrown out of the vehicle as it somersaulted. It also came to light that whereas Edwin had firmly strapped himself in his seat belt, Suzzy was seated sprawled in the co-driver's seat with her legs lazily placed on the dashboard as the car barrelled along the La Beach Road at a supersonic speed. Little wonder, her Liberian lover came out of the mangled vehicle 'unscathed' after the deadly somersaults.



The Ghanaian movie star's unconscious body was later found lying supine on the well-manicured, lush green lawn along the frontal wall of the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel. She was immediately rushed to Lister Clinic (now called 'Lister Hospital & Fertility Centre'), where she later in the day, around 11 am, took her last breath and surrendered her life to her Maker.

Edwin Taylor was consequently blamed for the tragic death of the 23-year-old actress. The chap faced harsh criticism from the Ghanaian public, with some angry fans of the actress wondering and questioning why their dear superstar would be in an amorous relationship with a "Liberian refugee" blah blah blah. This sentiment, tinged with xenophobia, persisted for some time.

Samira Yakubu, one of Suzzy's closest friends, also joined the fray by accusing Lister Clinic of medical negligence. According to the Ghanaian filmmaker cum costumier, who was among the few folk to have rushed to the clinic after receiving calls about the incident, it took the medical officers “forever” to attend to her dying friend, which she believes, partly contributed to the actress's death..

It is important to note that in September 2005, doctors and health practitioners in the public health sector were on an industrial strike. As a result, the beloved Ghanaian actress could only be admitted to a private healthcare facility.

Later, Edwin was picked up at his home, located at Nungua Barrier, by personnel from the La (Labadi) division of the Ghana Police Service to assist with police investigations.

In a PnP (People & Places) newspaper publication, it was reported that Edwin stated at the accident scene that Suzzy was driving the vehicle during the incident. He told the police that a careless car had suddenly crossed their path, causing Suzzy to lose control. This, according to him (Edwin), resulted in
their car hitting the pavement and somersaulting several times.

In a sudden turn of events, Edwin reportedly confessed to the police that he was the one behind the wheel during the accident. The Liberian bloke, who allegedly did not have a driving license at the time, affirmed that a small car crossed in front of theirs, leading to the accident. On this account, he was arraigned before an Accra circuit court on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, along with three additional charges: careless driving, failing to report an accident, and negligently causing harm. He pleaded “not guilty” to all charges.

The accused (Edwin Taylor) was initially held in police custody due to concerns that he might be lynched by the diehard fans of the deceased actress. With the intervention of leaders of the Liberian community in Ghana, however, the troubled young man was granted bail shortly thereafter.



Before the funeral of the late Suzzy Williams, an autopsy was conducted on her remains by one Dr Lawrence Edusei, a Pathologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, to determine the cause of death.

Corroborated by a Ghana Standards Board forensic science report, dated 10th October 2005, the results showed that the late actress had traces of cocaine in her nose and liver, as found by the nose swab and liver/stomach content analyses. Additionally, high levels of alcohol were found in her bloodstream as
revealed by blood sample analysis. At the time of her death, Suzzy was described as a “walking brewery” in town.

However, her mother, Cecilia Williams, strongly disputed the autopsy report in an interview with Stacy Amoateng on the “Restoration” TV show, which aired in November 2019 on Ghana's Joy Prime TV.

During the show, she asserted that while at Lister Clinic, she witnessed a "fair-colored young man" enter the room and insert a straw or syringe into her daughter's nose while she lay unconscious on the bed. She firmly believes that the substance injected into her daughter’s nostrils at the clinic was the cocaine that was detected during the postmortem examination through a nose swab.

The funeral, held in Accra, was filled with sorrow and tears. It was overwhelmed by a crowd of grieving fans. The MUSIGA (Musicians Union of Ghana) office, where the actress's remains were laid in state for the public to file past, was packed far beyond capacity.

Due to the overwhelming number of people gathered to mourn the late actress, it was quite a daunting task for the security personnel on duty controlling the maddening crowd; a chunk of whom were possibly 'pickpockets' capitalising on such a mammoth gathering to pick from people's pockets as was said to be the case on the day.

At the end of it all, "Chancha Lady", as Suzzy Williams was affectionately called, was interred at the Osu Cemetery in Accra.

For her sweetheart, Edwin, who was then a member of the now-defunct R&B quartet "Soul Black," consisting of fellow Liberians living in Ghana, he faced prosecution in March 2007. Presided over by Judge Frank Manu, the court found him guilty of all charges. It thereby sentenced him to a fine of “12 million cedis” (equivalent to '12,000' in the new cedi denomination) or, in default of payment, serve two years in prison, as reported by the Daily Graphic newspaper.

After experiencing this turbulence in life, which appeared to have smashed his young life to pieces, Edwin Taylor, after picking up the broken pieces of his life, vanished into thin air like an aeroplane that has gone missing on radar. Suffice to say, the young dude literally withdrew from the Ghanaian society and despondently buried himself in regret.

In 2014, he emerged from his introverted 'hiding place' to release a gospel song titled "Amazing Grace", ostensibly to announce his switch from secular to gospel music. The staunch Christ Embassy Church member, surprisingly (but not too surprisingly), vanished again right after the song was released.

There had been no news from the former basketball "wizard" until last year, when he reemerged as the music director for the 2024 edition of TV3 Ghana Network's "Mentor" music reality TV show, which was won by the young Ghanaian artist, Romeo Swag.

Suzzy Lebene Malike Williams has been deceased for two decades, and she is gone forever and ever. But what she did while she was alive continued to be seen and admired by many, including "Gen. Zee" (Generation Z).

Moreover, there is still a strong fetish about her: the "jama" song composed in her honor still reverberates at social and sports events; musicians continue to create songs about her or mention her in their work; her memorial t-shirts are still available and are quite popular (a photo of Nigeria's Davido wearing one recently surfaced on social media); and so on.



Clearly, the late Ghanaian showbiz star continues to enjoy popularity even in death and has been somewhat immortalised.

With this in mind, it can be confidently stated that Suzzy Williams' legacy will forever serve as a reminder to future generations that a young, passionate entertainment personality, who dedicated her body and soul to Ghana's entertainment industry, once lived!