Pa Reh Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Ma Kaing

DENVER — Denver District Attorney John Walsh has announced that Pa Reh was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of parole.  On July 15, a jury convicted Reh of First-Degree Murder.

Reh and three other defendants were charged with shooting and killing 42-year-old Ma Kaing in July of 2022 in the 13-hundred block of Xenia Street in east Denver.  One of the other defendants was also found guilty at trial of First-Degree Murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The remaining two defendants pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder and will be sentenced in September.

“Pa Reh and three other men took the life of Ma Kaing, a beloved member and leader of her community, and of Denver.  Her murder was an unspeakable tragedy for her family, for her immigrant community and, frankly, for all of us in Denver.  Today, Pa Reh was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his senseless act of violence.  That sentence cannot bring Ma Kaing back, but it can send the powerful message that violence will not be tolerated in Denver,” said DA Walsh.  “I hope the sentence will also provide some measure of justice and comfort to the many people who knew and loved Ma Kaing.  I want to thank the prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates in the Denver DA’s Office, as well as the outstanding homicide detectives with the Denver Police Department, whose incredible work resulted in the successful  outcome of this case.”

The prosecution team was led by Chief Deputy District Attorney Anthony Santos and Associate Deputy District Attorney Kelsey Tipps.

About the Denver DA’s Office:

The mission of the Denver DA’s Office is to protect the community, to seek equal justice for all, and to improve the quality and fairness of criminal justice on behalf of the people of Colorado.   We achieve that mission through excellence in our work investigating and prosecuting crime, supporting victims and their families, working with the community to prevent crime, and providing fair alternatives to incarceration in appropriate cases.

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