SEATTLE — People in the White Center community are mourning the loss of a beloved landlord, allegedly murdered by her own tenant.
According to court documents obtained by KIRO 7, the victim Ut Thi Bui, 73, was the property owner who rented a room to the suspect Sofiia Fishchuk, 19, for about a year.
Around 7:15 p.m. on Friday, King County deputies answered calls about a homicide at an apartment building in the 9800 block of 15th Avenue Southwest in the White Center area of Unincorporated King County.
“It was someone right up under her the whole entire time, someone she was helping out,” said tenant William Boone.
Boone told KIRO 7 he had been renting out a room from Bui for several years. He described her as more than a landlord.
“She was like my mother. She cared and loved hard,” Boone explained. “She would take my kids to dinner, birthdays, give them money. My kids are just distraught. That’s how much of an impression she leaves on people. Ut was a loving person.”
According to the first appearance documents, Fishchuk had been behind on rent. When confronted by Bui, Fishchuk struck her back and stabbed her twice. After nearly 50 minutes, Fishchuk called her sister to tell her what she had done. The suspect’s brother-in-law called 911 and said “she had killed someone” after Fishchuk showed her sister the Bui’s body through a video phone call.
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“She was showing me the person that she wanted me to know,” Boone said.
Boone told KIRO 7 that Fishchuk had ranted about wanting to hurt Bui about the rent dispute before.
Those who knew Bui couldn’t believe something so violent could happen to a gentle soul.
“She was the epitome of just a really sweet older Asian lady. She reminds me of someone’s grandma... Very tiny, hard-working, really nice lady,” said business tenant Carol Mangabat.
Mangabat rented a space from Bui for two years. She says it’s going to be tough moving forward knowing she’s gone.
“She worked hard for her family. She always talked about her, her kids, and doing well for her grandkids and it’s tragic,” she said.
Fishchuk has been booked into King County Jail on second-degree murder charges.