LANSING, Mich. (WSYM) — Family and friends of Chong Moua Yang gathered at the Capitol for a candle-lit vigil on Thursday as police look for a break in the case.
Yang was shot while hunting on Nov. 16.
The family started to show up for the vigil at around 5:30 p.m. Friends and hunters from the area also came to pay their respects for the man they say was "quiet, kind and hardworking." Some came from work and some even came from out of state.
Police found Yang's body on state land in the 8500 block of East Clark Road in Bath Township about a month ago. Officers say Yang was wearing hunters orange, and say his gun and backpack were missing. The family said they just want justice for Yang.
Before the vigil, spokesman and cousin of Yang's, Joseph Yang said he thinks it's important to keep Yang's story in the media for several reasons.
"Not only does it affect our Hmong community, it affects the hunter community, as well, as a whole. Hunting is a big tradition in Michigan and if I was a hunter, no matter what creed or color, I would feel uneasy being out there. And so this person needs to be caught as soon as possible," he said.
In his speech, Joseph Yang shared that he and his family members believe this was not an accident. They said they now know that Chong Moua Yang was shot in the head. In addition, they said, the fact that no one has come forward and his items were missing made them believe this was on purpose.
Yang's daughter, Mai Yang, told News 10 she was blown away by the number of people who turned out. She said it made her happy to see how many people cared about her father, and their quest to find out what happened to him. She said it's been tough on her family, but they have faith.
"We don't know the answers. But for a person to be able to kill somebody and take their things and be able to get away with this, ... it's a very scary thought. We need to find justice," she said.
You can read the Yang family's statement in full below the story.
Yang's funeral is set for this weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the Chisholm Hills Golf Club in Lansing.
Anyone with any information about Yang's death is being asked to contact the Bath Township Police Department.
