Teen Attacked Outside Library Survives & Her Story Will Amaze You: The Case of Queena Phu
35m 50s
Quina Phu, a bright and kind 18-year-old from Bloomingdale, Florida, was brutally attacked outside the local library in 2008 just days after her 18th birthday. The attack, which involved stabbing, strangulation, and sexual assault, left her with severe brain injuries, resulting in permanent disabilities including loss of vision, speech, and mobility. Despite this, Quina’s family and community rallied around her with unwavering support. Her mother, Vanna, dedicated over a decade to her care, and Quina’s recovery included extensive therapy and emotional resilience. A key turning point came when her high school friend Derek proposed to her at her senior prom, a deeply symbolic act of hope and community solidarity. The event was made possible by generous donations, volunteer services, and a motorcycle escort, reflecting the strength of bystander compassion. The case of Kendrick Morris, the convicted attacker, was solved through forensic evidence and surveillance, leading to a life sentence after legal reforms expanded sentencing for minors. Quina’s story, once known as the “Bloomingdale Library Victim,” is now celebrated as a testament to survival and resilience. Her family emphasizes perseverance over blame, and Quina continues to live with emotional awareness and joy, communicating through facial expressions and laughter. The story underscores the power of community, faith, and human dignity in overcoming trauma.
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of True Crime with Kendall Rae. Thank
you so much for joining me today. And if you're new to the show, then welcome. So happy to
have you here. So at 18 years old, your life is really just beginning, right? No matter
who you are or what your plans are for the future, what you've got going on, you're really
at the beginning of what should be a transformative chapter in your life, whether that's for the
good or the bad. But for Queen of Foo, who was just a few weeks away from graduating
high school, the future that she dreamed of was taken from her in a very short amount
of time and in such a shocking way.
Instead, Queen of Foo can no longer walk on her own. She can't eat on her own. She can't
talk or even. see. And her story is truly one that more people should hear. It is absolutely remarkable,
her story of survival and everything that she's been through. But still, her life will
never be the same. I am truly so inspired by Queen of Foo's story and her strength and
her family and everything that they have done for her. And I really hope that this case
deeply resonates with you all the way that it has for me.
And with that, let's go ahead and jump into Quina's case, whose story really begins
with her mom. Before there was Quina and her big sister Anna, there was their mom, Vanna,
who was born in Vietnam. Her father was an officer in the South Vietnamese military,
and in 1975, when North Vietnam took over, he was put in prison, which changed the trajectory
of Vanna's life. And then years later, after he was freed, he decided to put her on a refugee
boat to hopefully give her a better life.
In order to. To get there, though, she would have to survive the journey, of course. And when Vanna was
put on that boat in 1981, she was given a 1% chance of surviving and making it to Malaysia.
And not only did she survive, but she eventually came to America and started the life I imagine
her father wanted for her all along.
I mention this story because it tells us a lot. It provides a lot of context about Vanna's
strength as a mother.
And how that was passed on to Quina. And I think it tells us a lot about why Quina is
the way she is and where she gets that willpower and survival strength.
So now, let me tell you about Quina. So Quina Phu is an April baby. She was born on April
22nd. That's actually my birthday, too. She was born in 1990, so we're just three years
apart. And she is the younger and only sibling to her big sister, Anna. And looking at photos
of the two of them, you can just tell that they were totally two peas in a pod. In fact, Anna says
that she, Quina, and their mom are a three-woman unit because it's always just been the three of
them. And I think you guys will see that their closeness has truly never wavered. And I think
we can also see why Anna admired her little sister so very much. Growing up, Quina is described as a
very happy kid who had an incredibly big heart. And I think you can just see that in pictures of
her that sort of just shines through, in my opinion. She was always known to be kind. She
was always smiling and never seemed to have a care in the world. Everyone says that she loved
making people laugh and that more often than not, you could find her with her nose in a book.
A friend of hers described her as studious, but not nerdy. And I think a lot of people
would agree to that. Plus, on top of being a good student, she was super involved, too.
Not only was she a member of student government and a two-sport athlete, but she was also part
of her high school's Best Buddies program, which is really cool. I actually did a very similar
program myself. If you haven't heard of anything like this, it's a program where a student fosters
a relationship with another student that has intellectual and developmental differences.
And it looks like she had the best time with that. And I think it says a lot about her character.
And not to mention the fact that in her spare time, she also volunteered at hospice care centers.
Quina is someone who put others before herself, truly. And so I'm not surprised in the slightest
that someone like her really just seemed to gravitate towards her. And she's actually been
described as someone who didn't try to be popular, but she just was effortlessly. And I genuinely
believe that, above all else, Quina was simply just a normal teenage girl. She loved shopping
and ice cream and texting her friends. And she was always late to things. And her room was always
messy, which is definitely something that myself and I'm sure so many of you can relate to,
especially when you were younger. Now, she also worked at Abercrombie,
Abercrombie in 2008, which was like Abercrombie's heyday, right? Like it was the time to work at
Abercrombie. I would have been so jealous of her working there. I mean, I never even bought
anything from Abercrombie because I just simply wasn't cool enough and I would get like triggered
to even walk into a store. But yeah, it was definitely a cool place to work. And as a girl
who did love to shop, this was perfect for Quina. Now, it was only a part-time
gig to make a little cash. But seeing as she was only a few weeks away from graduating high school,
that extra money would be fantastic going into college, right? Quina was an honor roll student
and she had been accepted into the University of Florida with a full-ride scholarship. And
she hoped to one day work in international business fashion. And that dream was well
within reach. All that stood between her current life and that next era was two very exciting things.
And graduation. Now, she was especially excited for senior prom. Prom is such an exciting time.
And I loved her plans for prom. She was going to go with about 10 other girlfriends. They were
just going to go as each other's dates. Sounds like a blast. She had picked out a really pretty
purple dress that she was going to wear. And, you know, she was just waiting for that day to
come. Vanna remembers being really excited for her as well because she was going to be the first one
in their family to go to an American prom. And in true mom fashion, she says that she was going to
take a million pictures of her before the dance and just remember and soak in that really special
day. But Quina never got to go to that prom because of what happened to her just two days
after her birthday on April 24th, 2008. She had quite literally just turned
18, which is just heartbreaking to think about. This was a Thursday, pretty normal day. Obviously,
had just celebrated this milestone birthday and was really pumped about that. And she and her
friends had plans to celebrate her birthday that upcoming weekend. Now, that night, she had to work
and she actually had to work late. Someone else had called out sick. And so she was asked to help
out with the closing shift, which ended at 945. And that was fine. But it did mean that she
would be walking to her car in the dark by the time that she left work. There was an employee
parking lot not too far away. But still, I think pretty much every woman knows that uneasy feeling
of having to walk to your car alone at night. I know that was definitely a feeling that Quina had.
So she did the smart thing by calling her friend Rachel while she walked. Vanna said that she was
really always cautious like that. And she was always like, I don't know, I don't know, I don't
know. She was also really good about texting when she made it home safe, especially because in the
months leading up to this, a woman who lived in the same area as them in Bloomingdale, Florida,
was violently attacked. And that really freaked her out. Ten months earlier, in June of 2007,
a 62-year-old daycare worker was sexually assaulted at knife point by an individual
who had forced their way into the daycare early one morning. The attacker was caught
on Grady's surveillance video, but they were never identified. In fact,
Quina and Rachel had recently spoken about wanting to take more safety precautions,
so they had given each other their parents' phone numbers in case of emergency, which is
really, really wise. And then that night, obviously, Quina was being extra safe by
calling her friend. And plus, they were just talking. They were chatting about their upcoming
weekend plans to celebrate Quina's birthday that weekend as she drove home. And she did
make it to her car safely. However, before she went home, she had to make a stop at the
local library. Totally innocent stop. Just returning some books. Now, the Bloomingdale
Regional Library had one of those drive-up book drop-offs, so in theory, she wouldn't
even have to leave her car. And this was something that Rachel was aware of. So it threw her
off when she heard Quina get out of her car, especially because as she was pulling up to
the library, she had made a comment about there being this weird-looking guy sitting on a bench.
Now, she even specifically asked Rachel to stay on the line with her because he was creeping
her out. But the reason she got out of her car, even though there was a drop-off, was
because her books were in the backseat, so she just needed to grab them out so she could
drop them into the book drop-off. And in that moment, Rachel heard Quina being attacked.
In a split second, Quina began to scream, and then suddenly the line went dead. And
Rachel just went straight to voicemail, which signaled to her that something bad had happened.
So she quickly jumped into action without missing a beat. She ends up calling the police,
their other mutual friend Priscilla who lived close to the library so she could quickly get
over there and check on her as soon as possible and then Rachel herself got in her car and started
making her way there. Then of course she contacted Vanna who actually was already concerned because
Quina hadn't come home yet and after hearing what Rachel had to say Vanna got in her car and drove
to the library as well. As for her sister Anna she was at dinner with friends but as soon as her mom
said she thought Quina was kidnapped she dropped everything too. Her boyfriend drove them over to
the library and she even remembers asking him to pull over so she could throw up because she was
so scared and unfortunately they all had good reason to be terrified. Priscilla was the first
to arrive and she saw Quina's car right away. The engine was still running and her phone sat in two
pieces on the ground next to several drops of blood ultimately prompting her to call
me.
, I mean imagine pulling up to that scene hoping for the best and seeing that and then soon after
that Vanna and Rachel arrived and the three of them proceeded to frantically search for Quina
and it actually did not take long before she was found. Just around the back side of the library
in a ditch they discovered Quina's body. EMS had also arrived by this point and Vanna said it was
like a moment out of a scary movie and this is just so heartbreaking.
But police actually had to physically hold her back from running to her daughter which
god it's just an experience that no mother should ever have to have. She says that everyone was
crying and nobody knew if Quina was even alive but they had to do their best to just hold on to hope
as they were airlifting her to Tampa General Hospital which in their minds they thought
they probably wouldn't do that if she wasn't showing any signs of life. Now when she got there
a team of 13 doctors worked through the whole thing and they found that Quina was dead.
Through the night to save her life and thankfully they did but her injuries were
undeniably severe to say the least. She had been stabbed, she had been strangled,
she had been sexually assaulted and truthfully her chances of survival at this point were slim.
And when the lead detective had gone to the hospital that night in hopes of speaking with
Quina he learned that they were unsure if she would make it and even though she did survive
thankfully she was in a coma.
At this point and so he wouldn't have been able to speak with her regardless. He could however of
course talk to her mom and her sister to see if there was anyone that they could think of who
would want to cause harm to her who would do something this violent to Quina but genuinely
there was no one they couldn't think of a single soul that would want to hurt her. This just
appeared to be random and so out of fear that the person might try to come back and kill her
they actually kept a deputy outside of her hospital room all night. Now meanwhile investigators start
of course processing this scene and that scene told a horrific story starting with her car.
There was a trail of blood from the driver's side door towards the front of the library
then leading back to where she was found. Bloody handprints were found on the library's exterior
wall as well as a no parking sign indicated that she fought hard to get free from her attacker.
In that field her backpack was
found open with her belongings just thrown everywhere and there were also small but still
noticeable pools of blood that were around the grass and they even found the weapon that the
attacker had used. It was near the wall on the side of the library and you would never guess
what they used. It was a plastic Wendy's utensil that had been filed down to create a knife-like
point. So that was sent off to the lab for fingerprints in hopes that maybe it could tell
this and truly everyone was determined to get this monster off the streets and nobody wanted
that more than Queena's family. And I really can't even begin to picture what this would be like
but when they were finally able to go into her hospital room the morning after the attack
they were just beyond shocked by her condition.
Because she was completely unrecognizable. Her jaw and her nose were broken, her eyes were swollen
shut and her body was covered in both stab wounds and hundreds of ant bites. And that's because her
body was left in this ditch that happened to be right near an anthill or she was I mean very very
close to this anthill and they just like went crazy on her as she was lying there which is
so sick to think about. And if all of that wasn't traumatic enough after hearing about everything
that she had been through and then seeing it Anna her sister was asked to help perform a rape kit to
help the nurses do it. Which I cannot understand why they would do this maybe there are some of you
out there who can make sense of that or give some insight but that seems I don't know that seems like
strange to me and so so traumatic. And again I don't know why they needed her help maybe there
was a valid reason I don't know. But they did and she asked her mom to leave the room so that
she didn't have to witness it. However she did want to be the one to tell Vanna that the test
did confirm assault. So for her to have to then tell her mom is another level of trauma. I'm sure
no child wants to be the one to tell their mother something like that.
But I'm sure Anna felt like that information was best coming from her than a stranger even if that
stranger was a nurse and I totally get that. But god it's got to be so painful no matter what.
Now that being said there was a moment of hope that day because Quina woke up from her coma.
Now as you can imagine when she woke up she was absolutely terrified and confused.
And I'm sure any of us would be. So she was kicking, she was screaming,
and also asking about what happened to her. And because of how badly she had been strangled
Quina lost her vision. So she was also asking why she couldn't see and if the police caught the guy
who did it. But they hadn't yet. And when the lead detective came in to question her the last thing
she could remember was getting out of the car. Which I am happy to hear that she doesn't have to
relive that night. That she doesn't have memories of what specifically happens beyond getting out of
the sexual assault. Anna said they even purposely chose not to remind her that it had happened which
I think was the right call. And this is so heartbreaking thinking of the 18 year old
mindset. But I guess Quina just kept asking if she was still going to be able to make it to prom.
Like I said she was just so excited about going. I mean when you're that age something like prom is
your entire world for a period of time. And Anna assured that she would.
She even told her she would do her makeup for her. But pretty soon after that her condition
actually worsened. And Quina unfortunately never made it to her prom. Later that night she began
having seizures and a CT scan revealed that her brain was starting to swell. And in order to stop
it they had to place her in a medically induced coma. One that they weren't sure she would ever
wake up from. Which had to be unbelievably scary for all of them. Especially because the
person who did this to her hadn't yet to be found. Investigators actually discovered that there were
101 sex offenders living within a five mile radius of that library. Just think about that. 101. That's
101 people to track down. 101 people to question. 101 people to get alibis from. That was not going
to be easy or fast. But luckily they wouldn't end up having to do any of that. Because once the news
of the attack hit the media.
Investigators got a tip that immediately sent them in the right direction. And that tip came
from a Bloomingdale High School student who had reported that he and his dad happened to drop
off books at the library around 9 30 p.m on the night of the attack. And he remembered when they
pulled up he recognized a kid from school sitting on a bench. It was a sophomore named Kendrick
Morris. Now if you remember when Quina was on the phone with Rachel she told her she saw a weird
looking guy sitting on a bench.
The thing is though that tip places Kendrick there at 9 30 and we know that Quina was attacked at
10 0 8. So anyone could have gone and sat down on the bench in the meantime. However another person
was able to place Kendrick there at 10. After investigators emptied all of the books from the
drop-off bin they interviewed people who had returned those books to see if anyone was around
the library sometime in that window. And one woman was. She even said she offered
Kendrick a ride home which he declined because he said his mom was coming. We now know that was a
lie but yeah that placed him there eight minutes before everything happened. And sure he may have
been just 16 years old but he already had a record including one arrest for cruelty to animals.
So naturally investigators want to speak to him of course and listen to this. The next day
while they were at the library talking to the librarians Kendrick
just walks on in. Apparently he went there a lot to use the internet so that must have been why he
came.
in that day, but glad he did because right then and there, they asked him to come into the station.
And I guess he had been listed as a runaway, so I think that's actually how they got him to go with
them. But anyway, he goes willingly, and they say that he was super polite and respectful. That being
said, they didn't end up questioning him because he was a minor, and when his mom came in, she
refused to allow him to talk. Although his freedom did not last long, because remember that Wendy's
utensil I told you about earlier? Well, fingerprints on it, as well as fingerprints at
the scene, ultimately pointed to Kendrick's guilt. So he was arrested early the next morning. And to
top it off, surveillance footage at a nearby McDonald's and Walmart showed that after nearly
killing Quina, he went about his night like nothing had happened. He first went to McDonald's,
where he ordered two Happy Meals, which he ate right there at the restaurant. And then next, he
went to Walmart, where he was seen wandering through the video game aisle. He was then seen
calling a taxi, which picked him up outside of Walmart. And in all of this footage, Kendrick is
seen wearing a heavy coat, despite it being a warm night, which investigators theorize was his way of
covering up any blood that may have been on him. And what I want to know is if he had any
concept for what was going on, if he even thought about what happens if I get caught, if he even
really processed it, if he even thought about what happens if I get caught, if he even really
processed what he just did. Because what kind of sick person would be able to go from doing
something like that to sitting down at Mickey D's and eating two Happy Meals?
Plus, and this may not come as a shock to any of you, but when his DNA was run through an
additional database, he was a match to the unsolved sexual assault of the daycare worker,
for example. And so he was able to go from doing something like that to sitting down at Mickey D's and eating two Happy Meals.
from 10 months prior that I mentioned earlier. Which, by the way, he was 15 years old when that
happened. And to say that people working that case and people in the community were surprised to see
that a teenager was the one responsible would be a huge understatement. People were actually
shocked. And that was the reality of both of these cases. And meanwhile,
Quina's family is coming to terms, trying to come to terms with the reality that
her life would now be in danger. And so, I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but I don't
never be the same. After two weeks of being in a medically induced coma, doctors took her off the
meds like before, and they weren't sure if she would ever wake up. Her chance of survival was
slim, but her mom, her sister, her friends, they never gave up hope. And they were genuinely by
her side day in and day out. Her one friend Priscilla even skipped prom night to come and sit
by her side in the hospital, which is just so beautiful. Which just makes me so emotional to think about. She even
had her hair and makeup all done, but she told Vanna that she just couldn't fathom going, knowing
that Quina wouldn't be there. And that, to me, especially for young girls, is true friendship. It
is so beautiful. And that kind of support that she had truly never wavered. Every single person
was rooting for her to show any sign of life, and Anna was actually one of the first people to
witness it. There was a night where she said that she swore she saw Quina's smile when she was playing
music for her. Which, the nurses actually told her that what she perceived as a smile was
just a reflex, but Anna knew in that moment her sister could hear her. And she believed that so
deeply, so much so that when workers came to the hospital to try and help them find a facility to
transfer Quina to where they said that she would spend the rest of her life in a vegetative state,
Anna and Vanna refused. Quina may not have been able to see, walk, or talk,
or eat, but her mind was alive, and they weren't going to give up on her. They also transferred her
to a brain injury rehab center in Sarasota, which really kicked off the beginning of her recovery
journey. And there's a lot to say on that, and I will get to that, but before diving into it all,
I want to share that her attacker was officially found guilty of all of his crimes. In September
of 2010, after already being found guilty of attacking that elderly daycare worker,
Kendrick Morris went to trial,
facing charges of sexual assault, battery, and kidnapping. Anna and Vanna chose not to bring
Quina to the courtroom, knowing that by that point in her recovery, she would have been able to
understand what she was listening to. Because of her traumatic brain injury, she would get these
sudden panic attacks called neurostorms, so they wanted to shield her as best as they could. And
they actually were told, of course, that having Quina there would help the case against Kendrick,
but I'm glad that they put her physical. safety and well-being above that. They weren't going to put her in any kind of jeopardy. And in
the end, after a very brief deliberation, Kendrick Morris was sentenced to two concurrent 65-year
sentences. And he did try to get that reduced, of course, but that ended up backfiring on him.
And this is actually really interesting how this played out, but because of a Supreme Court ruling
for a separate case, laws regarding the sentencing of minors had changed. So Kendrick was able to
get a new sentencing hearing. But rather than get his sentence reduced like he was hoping for, he
ended up being given life in prison after that. Now, he will be eligible for parole, although many
doubt he will actually ever get that because later, he admitted that if he hadn't gotten caught,
he would have ended up killing someone. So clearly a danger to society. And yes, that new sentence is
exactly what he deserves. It's also what Quina's family is going to have to deal with. And so,
that's really enough about him. I don't want to waste any more time speaking about what a waste of
human existence Kendrick Morris is. Instead, I'd rather end today's episode by telling you about
Quina's recovery efforts and about her incredible supporters who have given her a life that doctors
initially never thought was possible. For the last decade and a half, Quina has required around-the-
mile therapy from her mom. And her mom has selflessly devoted herself to. If you're watching
this episode, you're able to see that she's in a wheelchair and is unable to walk on her own. And
like I've said, she also can't see, talk, or eat. But still, you can see even in these pictures
that her face is still beaming with life. Her smile still gives you so much, even through pictures.
And with the help of her mom and sister, and of course, an amazing team of therapists as well, Quina has
made unbelievable progress for someone with a traumatic brain injury that's as severe as hers is.
In therapy, she is able to stand, she's able to walk with assistance, and she is now even gaining
more control over some of her head movements. Plus, she's making more attempts at vocalizing,
which is a huge accomplishment. And I truly have to say, these images fall into my top 10 most
inspirational photos I've ever seen after knowing what she went through. Quina is in physical therapy,
she's in occupational therapy, and she's in physical therapy. She's in occupational therapy,
speech therapy, aqua therapy, and more. And you can just tell that every single person that she works with
believes in her, and that her strength and positivity just shines through, even after all of this time
of having to do all of this extremely difficult work. You know, it seems like she just shows up
every day with the best attitude possible, which given her circumstances, I don't know how someone
finds the strength to show up in that way. I think it's just beyond inspirational. And of course,
her life will never look exactly the way that they all hoped it would, that Quina had imagined.
It will never be the same. But Anna is hopeful that maybe one day, there will be scientific
achievements that can help speed Quina's recovery along. But until that day, there's no denying that
her mind and her heart are 100% present. And I think that's what's so important about her.
and positive in everything that she does. And her way of communicating right now is through her facial
expressions and sound, specifically laughter, which I think is really beautiful. And that's how you
know if Quina likes something or not. And they know that she's very aware of what's going on around
her. One of the things that brings me the most joy, though, is seeing how her community continues to
celebrate her. And my favorite example of that, and I am so excited to tell you this detail, but
Quina finally got to go.
Throughout her years of treatment, Quina became friends with one of her therapist's sons named
Derek, and he was a student at Bloomingdale High School. So for his prom, the only person
that he wanted to take was Quina. And she even got to be asked, he asked her with a beautiful
promposal sign that said, Quina, prom would be unbearable without you. And he gave her a pink
teddy bear to go along with it. And it wasn't just the fact that he took her to prom that I find so
inspiring, but it was how everyone came together to make it so special. Someone anonymously donated
$250 for her shoes and accessories. A hair and makeup artist volunteered their services.
A seamstress even helped her alter her original prom dress that she never got to wear, the purple
one that she was so excited about. And this is so cool. But a local Harley Davidson club also asked
to escort her van to the prom in a motorcade kind of fashion. Quina planned on attending her senior
prom in two weeks. She was so excited. She was so excited. She was so excited. She was so excited.
THEN CAME A ROUTINE TRIP TO
the Bloomingdale Library. It was a routine trip that changed her life.
Quina is now 26 and has been through years of rehab. She still can't walk or
talk. Her sister Anna explains when she was asked to the prom, a part of her life
was returned to her. You and I take it for granted. It's called normalcy. She
doesn't get a lot of opportunities to, you know, be a real princess. Typically
she's in her sweatpants doing therapy or visiting a doctor, so today is just
all about her having fun. Quina got her makeup and hair done, her date Derrick
also looking quite dapper. Derrick is a Bloomingdale senior who admits Quina's
case touched his heart. I always loved seeing people that, you know, who have
gone through such tragedies but find, I would say, the rainbow in the storm. You
know, they find the bright side out of it. 55 motorcycle riders provide
the escort for Quina and her date and while she couldn't see the warm
reception, she certainly could hear it.
Her sister telling me while Quina can't put her thoughts and emotions into words,
her expressions say it all. I've never seen her happier. She was ecstatic. I mean,
she was just beaming for even days to follow and as you can see inside now,
she's just lit up. She's really, really excited. And hearing about the
and seeing those acts of kindness gives you true faith in humanity. That's, I'm
sure a lot of you feel this way too. It's been hard to feel that lately with the
state of the world and it's a big reason why I wanted to tell her story. I think
the world needs more people like Derrick in it. He made all of that possible. You
know, he didn't have to take Quina to prom. He genuinely wanted to and I think
that is such a beautiful thing to have done. He's become like family to them, I guess, and he's made
a really positive impact in Quina's life, which is just so cool. Anna says that the happiest her
sister looks is when he's with her and he visits her all the time. He'll put on a movie for them
just to listen to together or he'll sit and talk to her for hours. Derrick was even Quina's date
to Anna's wedding. I also read that he's going to be making a documentary about her story,
which I haven't been able to find, but it's possible. He's
still working on it. It's just not done yet. And then can we also take a moment to
appreciate and applaud her mother, Vanna, who has dedicated well over a decade of her life to
personally supporting Quina and her needs, both physically and financially. Neither of those can
be easy. I've learned that her care costs approximately $70,000 a year and only, of
course, no one can buy insurance. So I did want to mention that if you are interested in supporting
Quina's care, you can make a donation on their website, which is joinquina.com. And that page
is also just an awesome resource to learn more about her story. And you can also purchase the
memoir that Vanna wrote, which is titled The Life She Once Knew, and it tells the true story of
Quina's attack and her recovery. Vanna said that she wrote it because she wanted to encourage and
families that they can survive the worst kinds of tragedies and come out okay on the other end. And
that's really cool. And I think that's really cool. And I think
her and Anna's message throughout the years, they're not focusing on why this happened or,
you know, giving up when times get hard. Instead, they're putting their efforts into how they can
inspire others. And I know I can speak for all of us when I say we are inspired. Of course,
I fully plan to reach out to them and offer them a hope grant through my foundation, Higher Hope,
which if you guys didn't know, helping cover the costs of medical expenses, such as physical
therapy, is one of the many ways we are able to show families financial support in the
aftermath of a violent crime. And of course, updates on this grant and other grants can
always be found on our Instagram at higherhopeorg. Once again, I just have to say I am totally in awe
of everything that Quina has overcome. For a while there, she was being referred to as the
Bloomingdale Library Victim, but over the years, that title has rightfully changed to Bloomingdale
Library Survivor. And she is truly the definition of a survivor. I hope you guys feel as inspired
by Quina's story as I have been, even though her attack is terrifying and her story is really hard
to, you know, absorb and to think about. Her strength and perseverance and the community
around her and her family have just really left me feeling really good, really warm. And I needed
that right now.
So I was really thankful to have found her story and to be able to share it with all of you guys.
And if you want to see more survival stories and cases like this, please let me know, because
I really love doing them. And I think there are so many people out there whose
stories deserve more eyes on them, deserve a bigger platform. And I would love to be part of that.
That is going to be it for me today, guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode. And make
sure you follow the show on Instagram. I'll see you in the next one.
on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of
this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel, which will be linked, or you can just search
Kendall Ray. I will be back with another episode soon. But until then, stay safe out there.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Quina Phu, an 18-year-old girl, was brutally attacked outside the Bloomingdale Library in 2008, suffering stabbing, strangulation, and sexual assault that left her with severe brain injuries and permanent disabilities.
Her attacker, Kendrick Morris, was identified through fingerprints on a modified plastic Wendy’s utensil and surveillance footage showing him at the scene and later eating Happy Meals, with a prior record of sexual assault.
Despite the trauma, Quina’s family, community, and supporters—including a student named Derek—worked tirelessly to support her recovery, culminating in her attending a symbolic senior prom as a powerful act of resilience.
Quina lost her vision, mobility, speech, and ability to eat, yet through intensive therapy and unwavering support, she made significant progress, showing emotional awareness and joy through facial expressions and laughter.
Kendrick Morris was sentenced to life in prison after a legal change allowed for harsher penalties for minors, and his case highlighted the danger of unchecked predatory behavior.
The community rallied to celebrate Quina’s survival, with anonymous donations, volunteer services, and a motorcycle escort making her prom a deeply meaningful event.
Her mother, Vanna, dedicated over a decade to her care, and the family’s message focuses on resilience, hope, and inspiring others through perseverance rather than dwelling on trauma.
Quina’s story evolved from being labeled a “victim” to a “survivor,” symbolizing the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable violence.
Summary:
Quina Phu, a bright and kind 18-year-old from Bloomingdale, Florida, was brutally attacked outside the local library in 2008 just days after her 18th birthday. The attack, which involved stabbing, strangulation, and sexual assault, left her with severe brain injuries, resulting in permanent disabilities including loss of vision, speech, and mobility. Despite this, Quina’s family and community rallied around her with unwavering support.
Her mother, Vanna, dedicated over a decade to her care, and Quina’s recovery included extensive therapy and emotional resilience. A key turning point came when her high school friend Derek proposed to her at her senior prom, a deeply symbolic act of hope and community solidarity. The event was made possible by generous donations, volunteer services, and a motorcycle escort, reflecting the strength of bystander compassion.
The case of Kendrick Morris, the convicted attacker, was solved through forensic evidence and surveillance, leading to a life sentence after legal reforms expanded sentencing for minors. Quina’s story, once known as the “Bloomingdale Library Victim,” is now celebrated as a testament to survival and resilience. Her family emphasizes perseverance over blame, and Quina continues to live with emotional awareness and joy, communicating through facial expressions and laughter.
The story underscores the power of community, faith, and human dignity in overcoming trauma.
FAQs
Quina was attacked while walking to the Bloomingdale Regional Library after working late. She was stabbed, strangled, sexually assaulted, and left in a ditch near an anthill where she was attacked by ants. She later died from her injuries and was placed in a medically induced coma.
Kendrick Morris, a 16-year-old at the time, was identified as the attacker. He had a prior record for cruelty to animals and was linked to a previous unsolved sexual assault of a daycare worker.
A tip from a student who recalled seeing Kendrick at the library led investigators to him. Fingerprints on a plastic Wendy's utensil used as a knife matched Kendrick's, and surveillance footage showed him eating at McDonald's and shopping at Walmart after the attack.
Quina suffered severe trauma, including broken bones, loss of vision, and brain swelling. She was in a medically induced coma for weeks and never regained full ability to walk, talk, or eat, though she made significant progress in therapy.
Her mother and sister provided constant care, and the community rallied to support her, including a student named Derrick who took her to her senior prom and organized a motorcade, hair and makeup, and donations to make the event special.
Quina is 26 and still unable to walk, talk, or see fully, but she has made remarkable progress in therapy. She can now stand and walk with assistance, shows facial expressions, and laughs to communicate joy and emotions.
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