"We know we will see him again someday and that families are forever," the Stokoe family said in a statement after David Stokoe's body was found hidden in an apartment he owned.
David Stokoe was reported missing on Friday after he had gone to check on an apartment he was renting out in Salt Lake City. "My understanding is he showed up there for rent or to have a conversation about (the tenants) continuing to rent there and an altercation took place resulting in his death," Salt Lake police detective Greg Wilking told the Deseret News. Police later found David Stokoe's body in a hidden compartment inside the apartment,and three people have been arrested in connection with his death.
"We are choosing to focus on the love we feel from everyone and the love we feel for Dave, rather than resentment surrounding the circumstances of his death," the Stokoe family said. "He's cheering for us, watching over us, and wants us to love life and love each other. We are so grateful for the overwhelming love and support we've received through prayers, service, emails, posts, and texts. We feel your prayers and appreciate the outpouring of love and charity from friends, neighbors, and strangers."
Corrine Stokoe, David's sister-in-law, shared on Instagram how she has found peace in the temple and how her husband, Neil, and Dave's wife, Nikki, have felt the prayers of others sustaining them, allowing them to accomplish what they would not have thought was possible. "They keep saying how they can feel the prayers . . . that everyone is offering and it is just carrying them and carrying us," Corrine share in her Instagram stories.
In a post on Instagram, she added:
"There have been so many opportunities to get caught in the details of his death and be pulled down into the darkness of what happened. But we know that we have a choice, and choosing the light is what’s carrying us and strengthening us. Choosing love over hate. I’m grateful that Dave was the kind of man who cared deeply about people being their best selves. He wouldn’t want any of his loved ones drowning in anger or resentment or hate. He would want us to love each other, and to love life, and to use light to drive away the dark. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do."
View this post on Instagram It’s incredibly fortuitous that Martin Luther king jr day would fall on the Monday after Dave’s passing. There have been so many opportunities to get caught in the details of his death and be pulled down into the darkness of what happened. But we know that we have a choice, and choosing the light is what’s carrying us and strengthening us. Choosing love over hate. I wanted to share some of the places I’ve seen light and love the past few days. Some of them have been the most unexpected and ironically from places and people who often get the opposite reputation. The Salt Lake Police Department worked around the clock to find Dave and have continued to be absolute heroes and advocates for Neil’s family. I think if they pulled me over for a traffic ticket, I still would not be able to hold back tears of gratitude for all they’ve done. The media have all gone above and beyond to respect Neil and the family and be kind and compassionate and care, really care. They’ve cared about reporting accurately and professionally, but with gentleness toward us. The next time someone criticizes the media my heart will fill with gratitude for all the love they’ve shown to us. The funeral providers treated us like family, treated us with dignity, and gave us peace of mind and guided us with wisdom and understanding. I’ve honestly always been terrified of anything to do with a mortuary but today I honestly felt so much calm and peace there. The next time I drive by a mortuary I’ll feel gratitude for the uplifting environment they provided us. Most of all, I’m grateful that Dave was the kind of man who cared deeply about people being their best selves. He wouldn’t want any of his loved ones drowning in anger or resentment or hate. He would want us to love each other, and to love life, and to use light to drive away the dark. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do. ❤️ #mintarrowmeaningfulmondays A post shared by corrine stokoe 💕 deal blogger (@mintarrow) on Jan 21, 2019 at 8:49pm PST