Photographer found dead in Chicago River was 'a beloved member of creative community'

Friends of Ishmael “Kobby” Amuzu-Quaidoo are searching for answers since the beloved photographer and Ghanaian immigrant was found dead in the Chicago River in the Loop this month.

The 35-year-old was recovered from the river near the 400 block of West Adams Street and was pronounced dead about 8 a.m. Aug. 3 — three days after friends reported him missing.

Autopsy results from the Cook County medical examiner’s office were still pending, and Chicago police said Saturday that there have been no updates as detectives continue to investigate.

Amuzu-Quaidoo moved to Chicago in 2020 and lived in the West Loop. He was born in Ghana and would regularly send money to pay for his parents’ medical care.

A fundraiser created by Amuzu-Quaidoo’s large friend group in Chicago to help cover those costs has collected more than $14,000. The money also helped pay for his family to return his body to Ghana for a funeral service there.

“He was always there to support us,” his friend, Ashley Maahs, told the Sun-Times. “He was just such a caring person, and now we’re just trying to be there and support his family.”

“Kobby was a very caring person who always helped everyone without asking anything in return,” another friend, Timo de Waal, said.

While working as a tax consultant for a major accounting firm, Amuzu-Quaidoo developed a love for photography and started his own business under the name "Kobby Katalist.”

“Having been a victim of corporate depression, Kobby channeled his passion for photography into a healing medication and the joy of putting smiles on the faces of others has never eluded him,” his website states.

Amuzu-Quaidoo’s photography focused on Afrocentric portraits, but he also shot weddings and fashion. He was honored in 2019 with an Agora Images Hero Award, and his work has been featured in outlets such as the Daily Mail and Perazim Magazine.

“He was not just a wonderful colleague, but also a talented photographer and a beloved member of the creative community,” his friends wrote in the GoFundMe post.

His friends ask anyone with information about Amuzu-Quaidoo’s death to contact Chicago police at (312) 744-8266 or submit a tip at chicagopolice.org/services/tipsubmit.