A judge in Portland, OR sentenced a man to life in prison with the possibility of parole in the killing of Choi’s Kimchi co-founder Matt Choi, reports the Oregonian.
Allen Alonzo Coe will be eligible for parole after pleading guilty for the murder of Choi, the attempted murder of his girlfriend Jenny Kwon, and first-degree burglary.
Prosecutors say Coe entered Choi’s apartment at 2 a.m. When Kwon told the suspect that she had called the police, they say he thrust his knife at her, but Choi pulled his girlfriend away and was subsequently stabbed multiple times trying to protect her, Eater reports.
Coe apologized for his actions at the sentencing hearing, saying he suffered from both mental illness and addiction and described himself as someone who “lost his way.”
Choi founded Choi’s Kimchi in 2011 with his mother. He would later begin national distribution of his product.
“He had a bright future,” Suk Choi said at the sentencing. “The person who committed this crime took everything away from me and my family.”
He is remembered as someone who offered mentorship and advice to chefs and other product makers.
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