EDMONDS — A $1 million dream house holds secrets to one family’s nightmare.

Edward Kim, 25, didn’t live in the house. The Canadian man was ambushed there.

His bullet-riddled body was discovered inside the Picnic Point house March 25, 2005. His killer’s identity remains a mystery.

Kim is featured on the nine of clubs in the state’s first cold-case deck of playing cards. Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives assembled the cards for jail and prison inmates in hopes of soliciting new leads in unsolved homicides and missing person cases.

The 5,000 decks were purchased with a grant from the Stillaguamish Tribe.

Detectives hope Kim’s card will fall into the hands of someone who wants to help them track down the shooter.

Investigators spoke with Kim’s family about including his case in the deck. His relatives had some reservations about drawing attention to the homicide, sheriff’s detectives Jim Scharf said.

Kim was involved in international drug trafficking, the detective said. They believe his slaying was somehow related.

In the days leading up to his death, Kim and his mother rented a car and drove to and from Los Angeles. His mother said he dropped her off at a Seattle bus station the day before his body was found, court records show. A man she didn’t know was in the car. Her son met the stranger earlier in the day at a Seattle-area mall.

Kim phoned family and friends up until about 10 p.m. that night.

The next afternoon his body was found lying on the living room floor of the vacant house. Spent shell casings and bullets were scattered nearby.

Detectives don’t believe Kim had any ties to the Edmonds house. The property had been for sale for a couple of years.

About two months after Kim’s family was told he’d been shot to death, the house was sold. A couple saw the waterfront home on a television broadcast about the slaying.

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.

About this series

Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives created the state’s first deck of cold-case playing cards. Each Sunday for a year, The Herald is publishing a story about a case featured on one of the cards. The 52 cards can be viewed [URL]at www.heraldnet.com.

Anyone with information about unsolved homicides or missing persons cases is asked to call 800-222-TIPS (8477). Up to a $1,000 reward is offered. Tips also can be left on the sheriff’s tip line at 425-388-3845. Callers may remain anonymous, although tips have been more successful when callers speak with detectives, police said.[/URL]