Victims’ families hope for death penalty

Jace Radke

Monday, March 29, 2004 | 8:46 a.m.

The family members of the women murdered by Alfonso "Slinkey" Blake were hoping that the jury that convicted the aspiring R&B singer on Friday would sentence him to death today.

"We're hoping for the death penalty, without question," said Melissa Van Dine, whose sister Priscilla was shot to death by Blake.

"It wouldn't really do anything for us, except that we would know he got what he deserved.

Blake was found guilty Friday of two counts of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and one count of attempted murder with a deadly weapon in the slayings of Sophear Choy, 19, and Priscilla Van Dine, 22, and the shooting of Kim Choy, 23, in a desert area in southwest Las Vegas on March 5, 2003.

After the verdict was readm Melissa Van Dine broke down and began to cry with her mother and father.

"We're so happy because what we knew is now set down in stone," Van Dine said. "My sister and her friends were innocent, young and beautiful and they didn't deserve what happened to them.

"I think about my niece growing up without the love of her mother."

Prosecutors said Blake became angry when the victims reneged on an agreement to rent out rooms in his house and shot them "execution-style" in a desert area near Lone Grove Road and Decatur Boulevard.

Kim Choy survived the shooting, and during her testimony last week she identified Blake as the triggerman. Choy was expected to testify again today during the sentencing phase, according to her father.

Blake's lawyers argued that he suffered from mental disorders and that he was likely delusional when he committed the crimes.

Jinah Chung, Blake's former girlfriend, said Wednesday that she saw Blake lead the women into the desert the night of the slayings. She said she fled with Blake to California, where he confessed the killings to her.

Chung, who worked as a stripper, said Wednesday that she lived in Blake's house with two other Asian women who also worked as strippers. She said the women gave their earnings to Blake, who controlled their money and their whereabouts.

The night of the slayings, Chung said, Blake got into an argument with the women at an intersection near Blake's home. She said Blake began strangling Sophear Choy and banging her head against a nearby sport utility vehicle. It was then that a knife fight ensued, she said.

Chung said Blake instructed her and his two other roommates to leave the area as he led the victims into the desert.

Chung said she fled with Blake to California, but that she was not aware that a shooting had taken place.