One year ago Friday, Don Ly was stabbed to death near his own home as he prepped for his day as one of the popular food vendors in University City.
"He comes out around 5 a.m. every morning to load up his fruit truck and that’s when he was attacked," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said at the time.
Ly was stabbed in the abdomen, throat, chest and arms as he prepared his food stand and van that were parked along the 400 block of Vollmer Street in South Philadelphia.
"At this point we do not know what the motive is," Small said.
Police still have never given a motive in the crime but since nothing was taken it appears the killer possibly targeted Ly.
One year later no suspect has turned up in the case despite a $25,000 reward and surveillance video that police say shows Ly's killer.
The video shows the suspect casually walking away after the murder. Police say one clue that could help lead them to the suspect is that he was wearing "Chuck Taylor" sneakers on the morning of the murder.
Ly was well-known in the community where he ran his fruit stand at 34th and Chestnut Streets in University City.
"It makes you sick. He just always smiled. He was a special person. You know that from just seeing him over the years. He was my age," long-time customer "Suzanne" said.
Family members told NBC10's Jesse Gary that Ly moved here from Vietnam and was a very private person.
"It's hard without him around," said Hoanh Ly, victim's son. Family members say their sweet-mannered father had no known enemies.
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"Never had any issue with any neighbor," said the younger Ly. "He was a very caring father, he was a very hard-working person all his life, he was a very, very great man as a husband, as a father and as a grandfather as well."
One year later, Ly's son public plea to find his father's killer remains unanswered:
"I am U.S. Army veteran, also I am my father's son and I am asking/begging the members of the public for help, if anyone knows anything, please contact the police."
Anyone with information in this unsolved murder should contact Philadelphia Police.
