Surinder “Paul” Sharma was just 43 years old when he was stabbed to death in the Super 7 convenience store he owned on Richmond Highway in Woodlawn, according to Fairfax County police.
Now, the police department is calling for the public’s help to solve the case. In a video posted to the department’s official YouTube channel Friday, investigators detail the events surrounding Sharma’s death.
Sharma moved his young family from New Delhi, India to pursue the American dream, Cold Case Det. Melissa Wallace said in the video. He worked several jobs to save up to buy his own business. His wife and children often worked with him, but police said he always closed the store alone.
Early in the morning on April 22, 2000, someone broke into the store as Sharma was closing and killed him, police said.
Whoever killed Sharma did not appear to be interested in robbing the convenience store, according to Cold Case Det. Jon Long.
“The evidence in this case tells us that the primary motivation behind this crime may not have been a robbery. There were valuable items that were left at the scene,” Long said in the video. “We believe there are people out there that have information about this crime and we are asking them to come forward.”
Sharma lived in Hybla Valley with his wife and two children. One of Paul Sharma’s daughters, Anita, also appeared in the department’s YouTube video.
“This fight is not just for my father, it’s for every family that has endured this type of pain. It’s for truth, for accountability, for justice that refuses to be forgotten,” Anita Sharma said. “Together we can prove that no life is too small to matter, no loss too old to pursue, and no voice too quiet to be heard.”
In the video, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis tells viewers that “every piece of information, no matter how small, could make a difference for Paul’s loved ones.”
Anyone with information on Sharma’s case can contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone: 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477).
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