Soon Ja Nam, a 79-year-old Asian woman, was a beloved figure in her Puyallup, Washington, community, known for the kindness she showed customers at the Handy Corner Food Store she owned and operated with her husband. Her life was tragically cut short on April 27, 2019, during an armed robbery at her store. Two masked individuals entered the store with guns and demanded money. After she complied, one of the robbers shot her in the back. Her husband was present and witnessed the horrific event.
Before losing consciousness, she urged her husband to open the cash register for the assailants.
The investigation into her murder quickly identified two 16-year-old suspects, Robbrie P. Thompson and Franklin Thuo. The getaway car, a Nissan Sentra belonging to Thuo, was found abandoned. A Snapchat video surfaced showing Thompson and Thuo brandishing firearms just half an hour before the robbery. The case took a dark turn when, just two days after the murder of Nam, Thuo's body was found washed ashore at a marina in northeast Tacoma. He had been killed by a single gunshot wound.
Forensic analysis confirmed that the same gun was used in both the murder of Soon Ja Nam and Franklin Thuo. The investigation revealed that Thompson had become worried that Thuo would confess to the police. Evidence from Thompson's phone included searches for "Puyallup shooting" and "where is the best place to shoot someone." He lured Thuo to a beach, where he shot and killed him.
Robbrie P. Thompson was arrested and charged with the murders of both Soon Ja Nam and Franklin Thuo. In September 2021, a jury found Thompson, then 19, guilty on eight counts, including two counts of first-degree aggravated murder. Despite his claims of innocence at his sentencing, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his crimes. The death of Soon Ja Nam was a profound loss for her family and the community she had served for decades.
