Circle Of Soles Surround Smiling Image Of Slain Mother Sarmistha Sen
PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) - An outpouring of compassion continues in the form of a memorial near the area in Plano where Sarmistha Sen was killed by a stranger for no apparent reason.
The remarkable display of sympathy -- running shoes as a makeshift memorial -- shows support for mother of two who never made it home from her morning run.
"I didn't know her at all but this is just something I felt that she would appreciate," said Plano resident Chase Storey.
One day after police collected hundreds of pairs of shoes left in memory of the 43-year-old, more running shoes were placed around a photo of Sarmistha's smiling face.
Sarmistha was an avid runner. She was an early riser and she liked to jog around the Chisolm trail every morning.
"I did not know her specifically but my heart breaks for the family. The least I could do it bring a pair of shoes as a sign of love," said another Plano resident, Mark Wiggins.
Sarmistha's body was found just off the jogging walking and bike trail on Sunday morning.
"It's just scary. I've always felt safe on these trails," said Ben Schafer who lives in the neighborhood off of Legacy Drive.
Sarmistha's husband, Arindam Roy said he wants people to focus on her accomplishments, cancer awareness and other positive awareness rather than how she died. A website was created Sen's honor to showcase her life.
She was born on January 2, 1977 in Sindri, India. Sarmistha grew up in Sindri and later moved to Bangalore, India for higher studies and work. She got married to Arindam Roy and moved to Plano in 2004. She studied in UT Dallas and University of Birmingham, Alabama and worked on cancer research for most of her career.
Along with her husband Arindam, Sarmistha has two children, Neil is 12 and Ryan is 6 years old. They recently also bought a puppy named Milly.
Sarmistha lived a free and fearless life inspiring many with her infectious energy and carefree smile, according to her CaringBridge page. She was an avid gardener and a great cook. Sarmistha practiced healthy mindful living and "she could cook extremely healthy food that tasted amazingly good. She was a trained singer of Indian classical music and loved to teach and perform music. Sarmistha was passionate about cancer care and was a lifelong supporter of cancer research."
Plano Police are focusing their investigation on Bakari Moncrief, whose image was captured on a doorbell camera trying to break into a home on the street behind the trail where the murder happened.
Detectives said they don't think he knew Sen and have identified him as a "person of interest."
Moncrief is in the Collin County jail with a $1 million bond.