SANDY, Utah (AP) - A Utah real estate agent, whose body was found in a crawl space after police say he was killed by people he was trying to evict from an apartment, was remembered Monday as a driven worker and dedicated father.
Several of David Stokoe’s friends, family members and co-workers gathered outside RANLife Home Loans for a candlelight vigil, The Salt Lake Tribune reported .
The crowd of about 100 told stories about the confident and charismatic broker who liked to buy the worst looking buildings and make them beautiful.
“I’m just grateful for every moment that we shared,” said former RANLife colleague Michael Carter of Stokoe.
RANLife CEO Greg Walker choked up telling a story about how he walked past Stokoe giving a motivational speech once and heard him ask the audience with serious concern: “Are you drinking enough water?” Others talked about how Stokoe loved listening to author and life coach Tony Robbins on tape, making goals and working hard.
David’s brother, Neil Stokoe, said David loved his Mormon faith and served a mission in England.
“I idolized him,” Neil said. “Absolutely his death was a shock. But he was so positive, it’s overshadowing that shock and that hurt.”
David Stokoe, 40, was fatally shot last week while attempting to evict tenants from a Salt Lake City apartment.
Officers arrested 31-year-old Manuel Velasquez, 38-year-old Jessica Reese and 30-year-old Diana Hernandez.
No attorneys were immediately listed in court records for the three tenants.
Velasquez said he got in a fight with Stokoe and shot him multiple times, according to authorities. Reese and Hernandez allegedly helped him hide the body, police said.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
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