In a quiet neighborhood in northeast Richland County, the tranquility was shattered on a Friday afternoon, leaving neighbors in shock and a family devastated. On February 3, 2017, 67-year-old Sim Sok was found dead in her home on May Oak Circle in The Summit housing complex. An autopsy would later reveal that she died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
The news of her violent death sent ripples through the community, where she was known as a quiet woman who mostly kept to herself.
Responding to a call of shots fired at around 4 p.m., Richland County sheriff's deputies arrived at the residence to a grim scene. Inside the home, they discovered not one, but two bodies. Alongside Sim Sok was her 34-year-old son, David Sok. The Richland County Coroner's Office later confirmed that David Sok had also died from a single gunshot wound to the head, which was determined to be self-inflicted.
The investigation into the tragic incident concluded that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. Authorities determined that David Sok shot and killed his mother before taking his own life. The motive behind the devastating act was not publicly released. Neighbors, who would often see Sim Sok walking in the area, expressed their sorrow and surprise, noting the quiet nature of the woman and the neighborhood. One neighbor mentioned having seen her for at least seven years and described her as a nice, older woman, making the tragic events even harder to comprehend.
