Robbrie Thompson, found guilty in the 2019 murder of a Puyallup store clerk during a robbery, was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday. A jury found Thompson guilty on all charges including two counts of first-degree aggravated murder and first-degree robbery. Thompson was arrested as a 16-year-old for the murder of Soon Ja Nam, 79, who owned and operated the Handy Corner Store with her husband.
Robbrie Thompson insisted he was innocent, moments before he was sentenced to prison for both murders. “Regardless of what the state can prove and how they make it seem, I did not kill Miss Nam,” said Robbrie Thompson. Nineteen-year-old Robbrie Thompson denied that he shot and killed Soon Nam, the beloved 79-year-old owner of a Puyallup neighborhood store, back in 2019
“I did not pull the trigger,” insisted Thompson. “I wasn’t, I wasn’t even inside nor knew of any intention to inflict harm upon whoever it was inside the store.” The murder of Nam, the longtime owner of the Handy Corner Food Store, devastated an entire Puyallup community that regarded Nam and her husband like family. Thompson and his accomplice, Franklin Thuo, fled the scene. But two days later, according to Pierce County prosecutors, Thuo was dead, too, killed by Thompson who feared he planned to confess to the crime.
In sentencing Thompson, the judge said the central issue was to punish him for his heinous crimes but also leave time for a life outside of prison. “I believe Mr. Thompson is dangerous,” said Judge Orlando. “I believe he has a propensity for violence in the future.” With that, he sentenced Robbrie Thompson to 40 years in prison. The judge reasoned that Thompson will be 55 or even a bit younger when he is released.
