The mother of a 37-year-old woman whose body was found in a duffel bag dumped near a San Francisco music festival has tearfully paid tribute to her daughter — saying she “knew something bad was happening to her.” would happen’.
Roya Koike told local media in Northern California that her daughter, Kelly (Brock) Koike, was the woman police found dead Sunday night at Golden Gate Park where the Outside Lands music festival was held.
Kelly’s cause of death and manner of death have not been shared by police.
Roya said her daughter lived on the streets of San Francisco before her death and suffered from schizophrenia, catatonia and bipolar disorder.
“I know deep down in her… she’s a good girl. She’s confused here (points to her head), but was she killed?’ Roya said ABC 7.
Kelly Koike’s body (pictured) was found in a duffel bag in San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Park on Sunday night
“I know deep down in her… she’s a good girl. She’s confused here (points to her head), but was she killed?’ Roya Koike told ABC 7 about her daughter Kelly
Kelly Koike’s body was found late Sunday night in Golden Gate Park
Roya said police called her on Monday to let her know the shocking news. No arrests have been made.
“Yesterday they found your daughter in a duffel bag. A dog walker found her,’ Roya said, reenacting the conversation with officers.
Police said a passerby called them around 7:30 p.m. to let them know they had found a dead woman near 22nd Avenue and Fulton Street.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found Koike’s body in a duffel bag.
The discovery was made a short distance from the three-day Outside Lands music festival, also in Golden Gate Park.
Some researchers questioned whether the discovery could be linked to the massive festival that sees an estimated 70,000 people a day, but it’s unclear if there’s a connection.
According to the woman’s mother, Kelly was a culinary school graduate and worked as a janitor in San Francisco before her death.
As her mental health deteriorated, so did her livelihood and living conditions, until Kelly was eventually left home.
“Being homeless in the city, I knew something bad was going to happen,” said Roya.
Roya said her daughter lived on the streets of San Francisco before her death and suffered from schizophrenia, catatonia and bipolar disorder
Roya (left) and Kelly (right) in a photo posted to the mother’s Facebook page
Roya said she was worried about her daughter living on the streets, but feared for her own safety if Kelly was home and off her medication.
“Very sad, it’s so sad… She was insanely beautiful, I mean she was beautiful,” Roya told the local outlet.
Nearby residents said they were shocked to hear of the discovery of Kelly’s remains.
‘It’s horrible. It’s a very sad, sad circumstance,” neighbor Michele Hunnewell told ABC7 News. “And people were just appalled. I mean, I was shocked!’
Hunnewell said she only found out after police officers approached her and asked if she had any security camera footage she could share with them.
“I was shocked because this isn’t usually a neighborhood like that,” she said.
Another neighbor, Megan Hiatt, told the outlet that she is now afraid to let her child roam the neighborhood.
“I have a 12-year-old who I would normally happily let wander the park alone. So yeah, utterly horrific…” Hiatt said.
Police said a passerby called them around 7:30 p.m. to let them know they’d found a dead woman near 22nd Avenue and Fulton Street
San Francisco police say the death is suspicious.
The case remains under investigation.
Police are asking for tips to be submitted at 1-415-575-4444.