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Miami Teen Remembered

BROWNSVILLE (CBS4) – Friends and family members remembered the life of 15-year-old Ashley Chow Sunday at her viewing in Brownsville.

The 15-year-old was one of three people slain in an unexplained triple murder Jan. 2 that also claimed the lives of 25-year old Harlen Peralta and her friend, 35-year old Israel Rincon. Thee three were killed in the home they shared in the 400 block of NW 134th Street.

Those who knew Ashley Chow packed the room and wiped away tears at the Poitier Funeral Home on NW 62nd Street in Miami.

Police originally thought their deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. They now say it was a triple murder, but have not said what may have motivated someone to kill them.

"I don't know how I feel right now," sobbed Miska Desouza, Chow's sister. "It's too much, it's unreal still. It's unreal. You would never think that it would happen to her," she said.

The crime took the life of a promising student. Chow was class president at Thomas Jefferson and she dreamed big.

She planned to go to Spellman College with her younger sister and wanted to become a lawyer.

"Her principals, her teachers, everybody misses her. The whole school misses her," Desouza said. "She was just full of life; that's who Ashley was, a person full of life."

Neighbors remembered Chow as a nice girl and cannot imagine what could have prompted this kind of violence.

"Such a waste. For stupid reasons this happened… I have a lot of questions," said Katia Jean-Michel. "I'd like to find out what happened. That would be good for the family and the neighborhood."

Chow's body will be flown to Nicuragua for her burial later this week.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call North Miami Police or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.

CBS4's Peter D'Oench contributed to this report.

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