A D.C. man was sentenced Friday to 27 years in prison for the murder of a popular Northeast deli owner.
Steven Williams, 46, pleaded guilty back in April to robbing Grace Deli on H Street and killing its owner, 64-year-old Hae Soon Lim, last June.
Williams had been an occasional customer at the store, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's office. He had previously been convicted of other violent crimes, including assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and two instances of robbery with a deadly weapon.
An empty brown handgun holster was found next to Lim’s body, and DNA recovered from it matched Williams'. His DNA was also recovered from the store's empty cash register.
“With a single gunshot, this career criminal senselessly executed a beloved deli owner,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. in the press release. “Thankfully, DNA allowed us to connect this killer to the crime scene, driving him to accept responsibility for his brutal crime.
"We can only hope that this lengthy prison sentence brings some measure of comfort to Ms. Lim’s family and others who loved her.”
The store has been closed since the shooting.
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