A $50,000 reward was announced Thursday for information in the killing of an 81-year-old woman found dead after she was stabbed, strangled and set on fire two months ago in her Woodland Hills home.
Ok Ja Kim was found in a bedroom at her residence in the 20800 block of Martha Street at about 8 p.m. on Aug. 2 by family members. They were concerned after she failed to show up at a family event that evening, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Kim was stabbed, strangled and burned to death in an arson fire, authorities said.
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In a September interview with NBCLA, daughter Clara Kim described Ok Ja Kim as a kind mother who brought soup to her daughters when they were sick. She was the grandma who moved just to be closer to her grandkids.
Devastated family members were at a news conference Thursday when the reward was announced.
"You're paralyzed, you're in disbelief," said Clara Kim, the victim's daughter. "I mean, to this day we wake up and think this is all a dream."
The nightmare has lasted two months for Kim's family. No arrests have been reported.
I don't think I've ever seen such a senseless and brutal act of murder.
Sharon Kim, LAPD detective
"We need your help," Kim pleaded. "This was monstrous, this is disgusting, and it needs to be stopped.
"This is the person that preys upon the most vulnerable in our community."
The brutal slaying occurred during a robbery sometime between the previous evening on Aug. 1 and the evening of Aug. 2, police said. Investigators said they believe Kim was killed during a home invasion robbery.
"I can honestly say that in my entire career, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a senseless and brutal act of murder," said LAPD Detective Sharon Kim.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who also was at the news conference when the reward was announced, called the crime a horrific murder.
"The likes that we have not seen in our community for a very, very long time," Blumenfield said. "And it was something that really rocked the community to its core. Kim's family, friends (and) community members are mourning, but also seeking answers, and seeking justice."
Ok Ja’s husband died last year, but she still looked forward to more travel and many more holidays and birthdays with friends and loved ones, family members said.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call LAPD Valley Bureau homicide detectives at 818-374-9550, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
