Johnny Kim-Foo Sing was 25 years old when he was murdered more than 20 years ago in Town N’ Country, Florida, and the person responsible for his death has yet to be brought to justice.
From 1990 to 1995, Sing studied accounting at the University of South Florida. He also helped run his family’s cafeteria-style restaurant called El Sol de Cuba, which was located on Armenia Avenue in Tampa, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
He worked at the restaurant seven days a week. “He would study and wait tables while his father was in the back cooking,” said a woman named Maria Mayorquin. “They were super good people, and this is something they didn’t deserve.”
On the night of June 17, 1997, Sing helped his family clean the restaurant before closing it down for the night. Afterward, they all hopped in the car, an Infiniti, and drove to their home in Town N’ Country.
Unbeknownst to the Sing family, a small vehicle followed behind them.
When they pulled into the driveway of their house in the 7200 block of Coolidge Avenue, Sing began helping his father unload the vehicle.
That’s when a Hispanic or white male, who was between 5-feet-7 and 5-feet-8 with medium black hair, jumped out of his vehicle, grabbed the green duffle bag Sing was carrying, and then shot him once in the chest at close range.
The shooter then fled the scene, heading northbound.
Sing’s sister ran inside the house and called 911.
When emergency first responders arrived on the scene, Sing lay bleeding in the driveway. They transported him to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Investigators surmise that the suspect may have assumed Sing was carrying a bag filled with cash, but in actuality, it contained notebooks and papers from the restaurant.
The Tampa Tribune reported that when Hillsborough County police searched the area for evidence, they found a wool baseball cap in the middle of the roadway. Neighbors stated that the hat wasn’t there before the shooting.
On the front of the hat, there appeared to be a pair of tennis shoes—one was gold and the other was red. The back was embellished with the brand “Converse.”
“It is a unique hat, and we feel that it came off the shooter,” said Sgt. John Marsciano. “I don’t think his intention was to do a murder, but at any rate, the gun went off and the bullet found its victim.”
In a 1997 interview, Sing’s father said, “It’s just senseless. It’s a senseless killing. A person hasn’t led a full life, and what do they [the robbers] get in return for killing a young person?”
Sing’s brother said, “I hope they catch the person who did it. It’s not human to do something like this.”
Detectives stated that Converse “produced a limited number of hats, and they hope that someone will remember seeing someone with that hat and call them with a name.”
Investigators have worked diligently to find Sing’s killer, but ultimately, his case remains unsolved.
Anyone with information regarding the murder of Johnny Kim-Foo Sing is encouraged to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Section at (813) 247-8660.