Woman’s body found in duffel bag at San Francisco park

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) - A homicide investigation is underway after a woman’s body was found inside a duffel bag at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

The woman’s body was found Sunday evening. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified her as 37-year-old Kelly (Brock) Koike.

The woman’s mother, Roya Koike, says the coroner told her Monday that a dog walker found her daughter’s body. The grisly discovery was made off a walkway about a mile away from the Outside Lands Music Festival, where tens of thousands of people gathered over the weekend.

Roya Koike says her daughter was living on the streets of San Francisco and suffered from a mental illness.

“I know deep, deep down in her, without this part here (indicating her head), she’s a good girl. She has a messed up here (indicating her head). But she got killed?” she said.

Police will only say this is a suspicious death. Investigators worked late into the night Sunday at Golden Gate Park, but so far, no arrests have been made.

“Very sad, it’s so sad. … She was knockout gorgeous. I mean, she was beautiful,” Roya Koike said. “Was. I can’t believe it. Was.”

The mother says she remembers the good times when her daughter graduated from culinary school then worked as a concierge in the city. She adds the 37-year-old had a passion for makeup and design, even changing her eye color to all white at one point.

But she says the mental challenges her daughter had that started in her teens eventually overtook everything.

Roya Koike says she feared for her daughter’s safety on the streets but was also fearful for her own safety when the 37-year-old was home and not on her medication.

“Being homeless in the city, I knew something bad would happen,” she said.

She said she wishes Kelly Koike would have been more open to receiving treatment that may have helped her.

While still shocked by her daughter’s death, Roya Koike hopes she will soon have answers as to what happened in the park.

Police have an active homicide investigation.