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MURRAY — A longtime convenience store clerk who was shot during a robbery last week died early Monday as a result of his injuries.
"He's more than just a clerk to us. He's more than an employee. He's my dad's good friend. And he's a brother to all of us," Jimmy Lee said in tears Monday.
"He just treated everyone with so much respect," said Lee, the son of the owner of Lee Mart, 5909 S. 700 West. "We just can't deal right now. It's just really hard on all of us."
Lee confirmed that David Marsh, 62, died just after midnight Monday, five days after being shot.
On Wednesday, customers walked into the convenience store shortly after it opened at 6 a.m. and found the friendly, well-known clerk on the floor behind the counter with a gunshot wound to his upper torso.
Store surveillance video collected by Murray police showed two men wearing black hooded sweatshirts with red bandanas over their faces rushing into the store at 5:37 a.m. Marsh is seen on the video scrambling as he opens the cash register.
After the men had received an undisclosed amount of cash and were leaving, Marsh threw the empty register tray toward one of the two men. One gunman responded by turning and shooting Marsh.
Marsh was initially able to communicate with the people who found him. He had been in critical condition since arriving at the hospital.
Family friend Elisa Bowers, who was asked by the Marsh family to serve as their spokeswoman, said his condition never changed once he got to the hospital. She said they talked to him, and although he couldn't talk back, the family believes he knew they were there.
This was the most traumatic thing that I ever went through, and I know his family ever went through. There's not even words to describe the heartbreak that we're all going through right now. He was a wonderful, wonderful human being, a wonderful man. He brought a smile to anybody's face who met him. He just had more love than anybody I've ever met my entire life.
–Family friend Elisa Bowers
"He was definitely there with us. And he's definitely here with us now," she said.
Bowers said Marsh's family is devastated.
"This was the most traumatic thing that I ever went through, and I know his family ever went through. There's not even words to describe the heartbreak that we're all going through right now. He was a wonderful, wonderful human being, a wonderful man. He brought a smile to anybody's face who met him. He just had more love than anybody I've ever met my entire life," she said.
But Bowers said she was also "infuriated" over how unnecessary the shooting was, noting that the attackers could have just left the store after getting their money.
Marsh had worked at the convenience store for 25 years. Many of his longtime regular customers were devastated to hear Monday that Marsh had died.
"He's just been a pleasure to see in the morning. No matter what kind of mood or day you were having, if you came in here Dave would always make you smile no matter what was going on in your life," said Aney Carroll in tears. "I don't know what's going through my mind right now, I just feel for David."
Carroll said she has been going to Lee Mart for 14 years, several times a day, and Marsh always cheered her up.
Lee Mart was closed Monday in honor of Marsh. Lee said even before his family bought the store, he and his friends would go to the convenience store after school and buy snacks while Marsh worked.
"So sad. He was just the nicest guy you would ever meet. And he set the best example for everybody. He's the greatest guy. It's just so hard," Lee said.
Marsh also stayed involved in local politics. A West Valley City councilman told the Deseret News that Marsh often wrote letters to council members about certain issues. Recently, he sent a letter to the city talking about his support for the West Valley Police Department and law enforcement in general.
Marsh also reportedly ran for a seat in the state Legislature many years ago.
Donations to help with medical and funeral expenses were being taken at Lee Mart and U.S. Bank.
The search continued Monday for the two suspects in Marsh's death. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 801-840-4000.
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