Jessica Omoke, a 51-year-old Kenyan-born Crystal nurse and mother of three, whose body was found last week in Maple Grove, will be honored at a candlelight vigil Wednesday evening, May 20, as investigators continue working to determine how she died.
Omoke, a registered nurse at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, was found May 15 near the 9300 block of Fernbrook Lane North in Maple Grove.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has formally identified Omoke and listed the case in its public reportable deaths records, which are released when an active death investigation is underway. A spokesperson for the office told Mshale that determining the cause and manner of death could take several weeks.
Maple Grove police referred questions about the case to the Crystal Police Department, which is leading the investigation.
Lt. Justin Tourville, investigative unit commander for the Crystal Police Department, said the investigation remains active and that no further information could be made public at this time.
Omoke was married to James Omoke Onserio. Friends and community leaders described her as warm, energetic and deeply committed to helping others.
The vigil is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Soo Line Park, near the family’s home at 5301 Angeline Ave. N in Crystal.
Minnesota state Rep. Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley, a friend of the family, said members of the Minnesota Nurses Association had initially hoped to assist in search efforts after Omoke was reported missing.
After her body was discovered, Hiltsley said, members of the nurses association encouraged the family and community to organize a vigil to help support mourning and healing.
Hiltsley said organizers also wanted to ensure the gathering focused on celebrating Omoke’s life rather than the location where her body was found. The family did not want the vigil held near the discovery site, she said.
A GoFundMe campaign has also been established to assist the family.
“It is a very sad time for the family, and as a community we just want to surround them with love and give them as much support as we can,” Hiltsley said.
Author
About Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the board of the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
- Web |
- More Posts(492)
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
