Murder for ritual or occult purposes has been the subject of numerous media reports in contemporary Ghana. To identify the principal features, motivations, as well as the social and cultural contexts of this crime, the present study provides an in-depth analysis of twenty-four cases of ritual homicides publicized in one local Ghanaian newspaper during 1990-2000. The data indicate that victims and offenders were disproportionately male and of low socioeconomic background. The majority of victims were shown to have been victimized by people with whom they were acquainted. The crime was overwhelmingly perpetrated with a cutting instrument, while blood, the heart, reproductive organs, eyes and limbs were most often extracted from the victims. The results demonstrate that most perpetrators of ritual killings were motivated by pecuniary gain. By situating the discussion in current Ghanaian socioeconomic contexts, this study casts new light on the phenomenon of ritual homicides.