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Don Ly “was an ardent believer in all the goodness that is America,” according to the family-generated website don-ly.blogspot.com. The technological tribute requires past tense usage because an unknown male murdered the 68-year-old fruit vendor outside his 400-block-of-Vollmer-Street home early in the morning on April 18, 2013. To commemorate his contributions to their lives and to call for the killer’s capture, his loved ones united outside their Whitman abode Friday for a solemn vigil.
“He was a true gentleman,” son Hoanh Ly said as relatives placed candles before pictures of his patriarch. “It has been hard to cope, but we remain hopeful, and each day we’re reminded that he’s still with us in spirit.”
The devoted husband of 42 years to Saruoung Thach and loving father of four children, all whom he put through college with profits from his University of Pennsylvania-situated fruit truck, lost his life at 5:31 a.m. after receiving stab wounds to his neck, torso and right arm. Investigators have footage of the aforementioned suspect wandering along the 2700 block of South Randolph Street but have not determined a motive, as the killer did not take any cash or possessions, and have yet to establish credible leads, though they keep in contact with the family to discuss developments.
“I don’t want to say anything to him,” Hoanh Ly said of his intentions when authorities apprehend the individual. “I just want to know why he was raised to believe his actions were right.”
When he receives news of an arrest, the forlorn figure, who fraternized with family members and neighbors in remembering his creator, plans to “spread the joy” to kith and kin in Vietnam, which Don Ly departed from to settle in Manchester, N.H., in June 1990. During his Asian existence, which included time as a monk and a police officer and treks to Cambodia and Thailand to escape government-led persecution, he developed the dedication to sacrifice that led so many to find him endearing, a trait that continued to attract respect later in ’90 when the family moved to South Philly.
“We have to hold everyone together, especially the children,” Hoanh Ly said of the grieving process, noting that his mother, understandably so, has been especially sorrowful.
“Everyone should know his story,” Leeto Ly added, divulging that the website, which includes a depiction of the suspect, aims to convey his father’s full commitment to being a citizen of his second homeland. “We certainly miss him and desire justice.”
The web account reveals Don Ly “never once betrayed himself from the path of goodness.” That evil entered his father’s world still upsets Hoanh Ly.
“There are so many memories,” he said. “It’s a shame we can’t make new ones.”
The Citizens Crime Commission and the City of Philadelphia are teaming up to offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the matter. Contact 215-546-TIPS or 215-686-TIPS.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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