In the winter of 2020, the life of a vibrant young man, Mon Ong, was tragically cut short in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The 21-year-old Asian male, originally from Rachtburi, Thailand, was known for his energetic personality and sense of humor. A 2018 graduate of North Side High School, he was a passionate soccer player for both his school and the Mon Youth Soccer team.
He was a beloved son who helped his parents with their family business and a caring brother to his three siblings.
On the night of February 26, 2020, a violent encounter unfolded inside a home on Barnhart Avenue. Ong was found having been shot in the chest. The Allen County Coroner's Office would later rule his death a homicide resulting from the gunshot wound. He was not the only victim that night. Alongside him, 23-year-old Brooke J. Wendel was also shot and later died from her injuries at a hospital. A third individual was also critically wounded in the attack.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to three suspects: Jamesley Paul, Kerwins Louis, and Kyaw H. Hlang. Prosecutors laid out a case describing a drug deal that had gone terribly wrong. The subsequent legal proceedings brought a measure of justice for the victims' families. Jamesley Paul was convicted of one count of murder, two counts of felony murder, and attempted robbery, resulting in a sentence of 146 years in prison. Kerwins Louis faced conviction on similar charges, with an added penalty for the use of a firearm during the crime. The third suspect, Kyaw H. Hlang, entered a guilty plea to two counts of felony murder and one count of robbery, receiving a 50-year sentence for his role in the events of that fatal night.
