More than two weeks after the murder of their mother, the Choe family has reopened the Lakewood convenience store where she died.
Elijah Choe spoke with his sisters at his side as they took the helm of the family-run business known as the McChord Mart.
“We thought long and hard about it,” Choe said. “But we figured our mother would want it. She loved the neighborhood. Everybody in the neighborhood loved her.”
In Choe, 59, was killed during a robbery at around 10 p.m. on Oct. 14. Lakewood police say the man tried to grab money from the cash register and, when Choe resisted, stabbed her to death.
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Her murder brought neighbors together to mourn Choe. Many said they just called her "Mama" and that she was kind to everyone who came into her store.
“She was a great, great mom, great business owner, great friend,” said customer Tiffony Ponder. “There was no reason for that to happen to her.”
The Choe family said that reaction by dozens of customers helped the family deal with the grief of her loss.
“People were coming in the pouring rain, when it was cold. It showed us she really was loved. And it gave us a lot of support,” Elijah Choe said.
Lakewood police say the search for In Choe's killer has not found or identified the man who was caught on the store’s surveillance camera. Choe's family is asking anyone who may know the man to turn him in.
“Just please do the right thing,” Elijah Choe said. “Do the right thing. It was a completely senseless act.”
Cox Media Group
