May 13, 2020
16-year-old Robbrie (pronounced “Robbery”) Thompson has been charged as an adult in the robbery and fatal shooting of 79-year-old beloved Puyallup, Washington store owner Soon Ja Nam. Thompson also murdered his 16-year-old accomplice, Franklin Thuo, and dumped his body in Chinook Landing Marina because he didn’t want to split the stolen money.
On the night of April 27, 2019, 16-year-old Robbrie Thompson and his 16-year-old accomplice Franklin Thuo robbed the Handy Corner Food Store at gunpoint. 79-year-old store owner Soon Ja Nam was manning the store while her husband took a break in the next room. She complied with the demands of the robbers and opened the cash register without putting up a fight. Once they took the money, Thompson decided to shoot Nam in the back before leaving the store. Nam’s last words were calling for her husband who immediately ran into the room once he heard gunfire and found his wife’s lifeless body on the floor.
Soon Ja Nam’s murder sent shockwaves in Puyallup. Nam and her husband opened the Handy Corner Food Store in 1979 and have been like a grandmother figure in the community. Hundreds of people showed up to the store after her death and erected a memorial.
As of May 2020, Pierce County Superior Court will try Thompson as an adult. He faces seven counts, including murder, robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, among other charges, according to Federal Way Mirror. Thompson has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial date is set to begin mid-2020.
Feature Images via Q13Fox