A FAMILY TRAGEDY

"NORCROSS, Ga -- "I love my daughter. I love my daughter, but I love my wife," said 58-year-old Gold Pak. His emotions are torn for his wife of 38 years and the daughter now accused of murdering her.

Pak, his wife, two daughters and a son came here from South Korea nearly 30 years ago. All but the oldest daughter have shared a town home in Norcross for the past five years.

The yard still shows scorch marks from an unthinkable act that has devastated them all.

Tuesday afternoon the youngest daughter, Na Yong Pak, 32, doused her mother with gasoline and set her on fire. Her mother, Myong Hui Pak, 58, died of her injuries about 10 hours later.

Her family took several photos of her final moments in Grady Memorial Hospital's burn unit. They asked 11Alive News to show them to help tell their story. Specifically, to help convey her final wishes about her daughter.

Her husband says his wife was aware of what her daughter had done, but still forgave her.

"She said, 'I love Na. Don't put her in jail'," Gold Pak told me during an interview sitting on the floor of the family's town home.

He says his daughter started showing signs of mental illness about three years ago. She began beating her mother, convinced her food was being poisoned.

Pak says his wife kept the beatings a secret at first to protect their daughter, who she hoped would get better.

Police finally arrested Na Yong Pak for attacking her mother last fall. She was sent to Georgia Regional Medical Center for evaluation in early December.

The state mental hospital released her just two weeks ago over her family's objections. They didn't think it was safe for her to come home.

"That's not normal," Pak told me, insisting she should have been kept for more treatment.

Now Pak is haunted by the murder charge against his mentally troubled daughter and by his dying wife's wish that Na Yong be forgiven and get more treatment.

"I love Na," her father said. "I still love her."

State officials say privacy laws won't allow them to discuss Na Yong Pak's case. But the family admits she refused to take her prescribed medication or return for followup treatments.

The family has set up a fund to help pay their funeral expenses.

Donations may be sent to the Myong Hui Pak Funeral Fund care of The Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc., 3760 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA 30340, telephone number 770-936-0969."

Hanh: OH. MY. GOD... I couldn't believe this story. It devastated me as if they were my own family. There's so many factors going on. If the daughter was sane & killed her then it would be so easy to lock her up without a key. But she wasn't & now the dad doesn't want her to go to prison because that's his daughter, you know? What a complicated tragedy. I feel a trillion times so bad for them.

And the fact that the daughter started beating up on the mom 3 years ago & she kept quiet to protect her? THAT is crazy. Not trying to be culturally biased as I'm sure Americans would too, but that is definitely an Asian thing. For your parents to not call the authorities on you even if you do them harm because they don't want you to go to prison? That's definitely culture. It's also mainly because they don't want to stain their family image & feel embarrassed by their judgmental peers.

Man. I'm in such disbelief over this story. I could never imagine even arguing with my mom, let alone killing her. May God (or Buddha) watch over Myong Hui Pak & let her rest in peace. Bless her soul & bless her heart.