Family Of Murdered Aurora Teen Lays Her To Rest
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - Friends and family said a final goodbye to a young woman who was murdered in the prime of her life. Kenia Monge was laid to rest on Friday morning.
Police found her body last week in Keenesburg, five months after she disappeared from a Denver nightclub. Police said Travis Forbes led them there. He's is believed to be the last person to see Kenia alive. He is charged with first degree murder in her death.
Several hundred people gathered at the Glory to Glory Christian Center in Aurora to pay their respects to the 19-year-old Monge and her family.
Every seat in the sanctuary was filled and mourners were flowing out of the room. The services were performed both in English and Spanish to accomodate the diverse crowd.
Kenia moved to the U.S. from Honduras when she was 10 years old. She wanted to live the American Dream.
Family and friends wore pink & black, Kenia's favorite colors. Some wore Hello Kitty clothing, another favorite of Kenia.
Family members read letters they wrote to Kenia, a particularly moving moment. She is missed by a great number of family and friends.
"But I'm not saying goodbye, I'm saying see you later. I'll see you when God calls me home with you. I don't quite understand why you had to leave us all so soon, but God always has a purpose. I'm not going to look at this as a loss, I'm going to look at this as a gain. I've gained a guardian angel and one that I know I can trust. Rest in paradise big sister, see you when it's my time. I love you and you are always and definitely are missed," said Kenia's sister Kim Lee.
The suspect in Kenia's murder, Forbes, is being held in Fort Collins on charges of sexual assault and attempted murder in a separate case.
The Kenia Monge Foundation was formed to honor the life of the 19-year-old woman who was murdered. The purpose of the foundation is to help families in a similar situation to cope, as well as teach self defense and awareness to young women to help prevent another death.
