ST PAUL, Minn. — A three-day memorial service will celebrate the life of community activist Tou Ger Xiong, who served as a bridge between traditional Hmong culture and life in a modern and changing Minnesota.
His family says the event will begin on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Legacy Funeral Home in St. Paul, starting at 1 p.m. His burial on Monday, Jan. 29 will be a private event for family only.
Here is the schedule for Saturday's event.
- 1:00 pm - 1:10 pm: Opening remarks and eulogy by Pangjua Xiong, Tou Ger’s sister
- 1:10 pm - 3:30 pm: Remarks from family and community leaders
- 3:30 pm: Visitation
In Hmong culture, a funeral typically lasts up to three days to signify the long and good life of the person who has passed. Tou's family is honoring his life’s work of bridging cultures with this tradition.
Three people, two men and a woman, have now been jailed and charged with aggravated kidnapping for extortion and aggravated homicide in connection with Xiong's death. Colombian authorities said all three suspects denied the charges at a hearing.
A minor who presented himself to the Public Prosecutor’s Office also admitted to having participated in the crime. He was also charged in the case and transferred to a special detention center for minors.
Tou's brother, Eh Xiong, found out about the arrests Thursday. In his home, his family would normally burn candles surrounding his brother's candle.
"Last night was the first night we were able to blow them out," he said. "It brought us to tears knowing, yes, there is justice in this world."
The U.S. Embassy in Bogota warned a week ago about Colombian criminals who use dating apps to lure victims and then assault and rob them. The embassy said it was aware of eight suspicious deaths of U.S. citizens in Medellín in the final two months of 2023, several involving the use of online dating apps.
"It is one of those bittersweet moments for us," said Eh Xiong. "Because I know that we can never bring him back."
Eh Xiong said his brother was dating the woman who was arrested since the summer and visited her in Colombia multiple times.
Xiong, a refugee from Laos who became a comedian and activist involved in many Hmong issues and causes in Minnesota, arrived in Medellín on Nov. 29 as a tourist. Twelve days later, his body was found with signs of violence in the Robledo area, northwest of Medellín.
A report by the Colombian forensic science institute, cited by the Prosecutor’s Office, concluded he died from injuries inflicted by a blunt object.
In its reconstruction of events, the Prosecutor’s Office said Xiong was held against his will by several people on the night of Dec. 10 in an apartment in Robledo. During his captivity, he was tied up, tortured, beaten and stripped of his credit cards, a cellphone, cash and a watch, it said.
The sectional director of the prosecutor’s office in Medellín, Yiri Milena Amado Sánchez, said the captors demanded thousands of dollars from Xiong's family and one of his friends in the United States, who transferred $3,140 to a woman’s account.
Despite the immediate payment, Xiong was taken to a wooded area, where he was beaten and then thrown off a cliff about 80 meters (260 feet) high, prosecutors said. His body was found Dec. 11.
The PayPal account belonged to Sharit Gisela Mejía Martínez, who tried to flee out a window of her apartment when investigators arrived to question her, a prosecutor told the hearing.
Following the killing, the activist’s family said in a statement that “the pain of his loss is indescribable.”
"He truly believes in equity work and fighting for the underprivileged," said Eh Xiong. "Many times I always teased him saying, 'You're not getting paid, Why are you doing it?' But it's what motivates him."
His death also triggered an outpouring of emotional reaction from people ranging from community members to high-ranking politicians.
"This is a heartbreaking tragedy. Tou Ger was an incredible person who was constantly working to uplift his community," wrote Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Hundreds of mourners also turned out at East Ridge High School in Woodbury on Dec. 23 for a gathering to mark Tou's passing.
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