a day ago
Pa Reh, fourth and final defendant in killing of Denver woman Ma Kaing, convicted of her murder
Pa Reh, one of four defendants in the case of Ma Kaing's killing, was convicted of her murder on Tuesday, three years to the day after she was shot and killed. The Aurora man was the last suspect to stand trial after his brother, Lu Reh, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, and the other two defendants -- Nu La and Swa Bay -- pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year.
Kaing was unloading groceries at her apartment with her son at 1313 Xenia Street on July 15, 2022. She was shot by what investigators described as a stray bullet shot by one of the four men, although it's not clear who among them actually fired the shot that hit her. Officers recovered more than 30 shell casings from the area after the shooting.
"A Denver jury took less than a day to convict Pa Reh of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the 2022 killing of Ma Kaing," the Denver District Attorney's Office said in a social media post on Tuesday.
He faces life without the possibility of parole at his sentencing hearing on Aug. 22.
Neighbors and community organizations called for more safety and security in their neighborhood after Kaing's killing and worked with the city, the Denver Police Department, and other nonprofits. They've since installed more and brighter lights in the area and HALO cameras. Some residents told CBS News Colorado in 2023 that they feel safer after those measures were implemented.
