Dr James Choi: Georgia dentist kills wife, teen daughter then self in murder-suicide. Bodies found on Glen Castle Court, Johns Creek mansion in Georgia. No known motive.
A Georgia dentist is suspected of killing his wife, the couple’s teen daughter and then self in an apparent murder-suicide. Notice of their deaths came after authorities responded to a wellness check at the family’s $1.7 mansion Atlanta area residence over the weekend.
The bodies of Dr James Choi, his wife Myoung Choi, both 52, and their 15-year-old daughter Grace Choi were discovered in their Duluth ‘gated community’ home on Sunday afternoon.
Investigators were called to the sprawling six bedroom, six bathroom home at St. Ives Country Club, just after 4pm to carry out a welfare check, FOX5 reported.
Johns Creek murder-suicide: No known motive
Authorities had yet to release the cause of death.
‘This tragic incident has deeply affected not only the family and neighbors, but our entire community,’ Johns Creek Police Chief Mark J. Mitchell said in a statement. ‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to those impacted and ask that the community keep them in their thoughts during this incredibly difficult time.’
Police believe the deaths were an isolated, domestic incident and say there is no known threat to public safety.
James was a board certified dentist who operated Highland Dental practice in nearby Suwanee, located about 10 miles away from his family’s home.
He earned his dental doctoral degree from the University of Tennessee, Memphis, his biography on the practice’s website states.
‘His primary goal as a practitioner is to make each of his patients smile, which he pursues by treating them as he would treat his own family,’ the biography reads.
James, originally from South Korea, also enjoyed golf and spending time with his wife and daughter.
What went wrong in gated community of St. Ives Country Club?
His daughter, Grace, was a sophomore at Mount Pisgah Christian School in Johns Creek.
The school remembered her as a ‘treasured and beloved’ student.
‘We are heartbroken and devastated to confirm the untimely death of one of our treasured and beloved students, sophomore Grace Choi,’ the private prep school wrote on Facebook.
‘We wish to express our deepest condolences and our heartfelt love, support, and prayers to Grace’s extended family, friends, and everyone who is grieving with our school community,’ the statement added.
Grace Choi, an accomplished violinist at the school, performed at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan with the True North Symphony on July 12 according to 11 Alive.
No known cause for the murder-suicide was immediately known as authorities continue to investigate.
St. Ives Country Club offers a private 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, a resort-style pool with a waterslide and two restaurants.
