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Two Men Arrested For 1994 Valentine’s Day Murder

(WREG-TV) Memphis police said a 20-year-old Mid-South murder case was solved on Thursday.

Two men are locked up and charged in the crime.

It all surrounded the murder of a woman in East Memphis.

On a day set aside for showing love, 23-year-old Angela Perkins was shown nothing but hate when she was killed on Valentine’s Day in 1994.

After 20 years of heartache and unanswered question, someone came forward with information that led to the arrests of Phanhsay Phanivong and Sathit Ep.

“Fortunately, these individuals have been brought into custody and its now going to be our job to make sure justice is done,” Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich said.

Phanivong, also known as “Kapoo,” was arrested and charged on Wednesday with Perkins’ murder. He was only 16 when she was killed.

Perkins was shot to death while leaving work at Newby’s, where co-workers back then said they loved working with her.

“Beautiful, very nice, great to be around,” a co-worker said at the time of Perkins’ murder.

An autopsy found Perkins was shot while driving her car near  Spotswood and Mendenhall.

She was shot in the back and the bullet nicked her carotid artery and larynx.

Perkins made two calls for help but was unable to speak.

She was found dead outside her car.

According to the police affidavit, the witness who came forward was afraid to talk because Phanivong threatened his family.

“We cannot get justice for the community without the community being involved in the process,” Weirich said.

The second man arrested in 1994 cold case murder

Ep, who was also in his teens at the time of the murder, was picked up in Horne Lake on Thursday in connection with Perkins’ murder.

“Of course our hearts go out to the family on a day like this. These horrible pains are resurfaced,” Weirich said.