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3:04 a.m. • 2-11-12

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Vigil planned for slain movie theater manager


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Mark Douglas Buhaug
Mark Douglas Buhaug

Friends and family plan a vigil Thursday night to remember a movie theater manager who was shot and killed during an attempted robbery last week.

The vigil to remember Mark Buhaug begins at 9 p.m. at the Marquee Cinema in the Wakefield Commons shopping center off Capital Boulevard. It is open to the public.

Buhaug, a 25-year veteran of the movie business, had managed Marquee Cinemas since August 2005.

A masked gunman shot Buhaug, 48, during a robbery attempt at the theater last Friday. Authorities have arrested three men in connection with the shooting.

New Jersey authorities arrested the third, Anthony Joseph Bimbo, 40, of Wake Forest, on Monday.

Two New Jersey state troopers recognized a stolen 2007 Toyota Sienna minivan from an alert that was issued to law enforcement agencies. The troopers arrested Bimbo at a New Jersey Turnpike rest stop north of Trenton, authorities said.

Police also charged two other men with murder in the case – Ryan Becker, 19, and Jason Zilinski, 18. Theater employees said Zilinski worked at the theater and lived with Bimbo, whom neighbors said was his stepfather.

Court documents show that Bimbo was going through a divorce, had lost his house to his wife and had just lost his job. Zilinski and Becker graduated from Wake Forest-Rolesville High School last spring.

“They were good people. I could not see them ever doing that,” said friend Courtney Hunken. “I was just with them last weekend, hanging out with them, and it’s just so weird to hear that. The next weekend they’re in jail for a murder (and it) just doesn’t seem like something they would do.”

Flowers lined the front windows of the Marquee Cinemas’ ticket booth after the shooting.

Billy Stiles, a former assistant manager at the theater, was a friend of Buhaug's.

“I worked with him for a year and a half, and ... (he was) one of the best guys you could ever work with,” Stiles said.

Besides the movie business, Buhaug’s passion was 3-D animation. He was working on a big project, according to friends.

RELATED TOPICS: Wake Forest, Wakefield Plantation

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To me that comment is just the opposite, you are showing faith and stong belief to be able to get together with one another to pray, laugh , talk, etc in times such as this. "When one or more believers are together, he is in the midst of all of them". Try again.....like judge not and you will not be judged, would be a good place to start.

"Must be how some people gain comfort when there is no God or strong faith in their life." Wow, that was a pretty big presumption. Why don't you get down off your high horse and do some reading about grief? People grieve no matter what their faith and it isn't for you to dictate how they should do it.

I still don't understand these vigils though. Must be how some people gain comfort when there is no God or strong faith in their life.

These are children that don't understand such a loss at the hands of someone that they worked with. I know that they have strong faith, but to have to deal with the conflicting feelings of loss and betrayal at the age of 17-19, they need the added support of each other. They want to get together to talk about the friend they loss and the fun times with him. even if he was their boss he was also very good to them. There is no funeral being held here. So where do they go to grieve and say goodbye. This is a good thing.

Thoughts and prayers with the families involved.

I still don't understand these vigils though. Must be how some people gain comfort when there is no God or strong faith in their life.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family. May the Lord comfort you during this time and always.

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