Sarith Em, 25, an Iraq War veteran, was shot and killed on January 1, 2009, outside his Signal Hill/Long Beach apartment on Gardenia Avenue. The shooting occurred around 12:40 a.m. as Em and his girlfriend, Vannaly Tim, stepped outside to move their car to avoid a parking ticket. Both were found with multiple gunshot wounds; Em had been shot several times in the back and at least one bullet passed through him into Tim’s chest. Tim’s sister, Debi So, heard the shots and discovered the couple.

Em had served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and worked for a box-making company; Tim worked at Lakewood Mall. The Long Beach Police Department investigated but reported few leads, and the motive remains unclear. The murders were among the first homicides recorded in Los Angeles County in 2009 and remain unsolved.

Anyone who knew Em or Tim, or who has information about that night, is asked to contact the Long Beach Police Department.