By Sarah Light, staff writer

ROCHESTER &8212; It&8217;s a question Joshua Sorensen and family members keep asking themselves about the murder of 27-year-old April Sorensen more than two months ago.

&8220;Why would someone do this to April?&8221; Joshua asked during an emotional statement Thursday morning at the Rochester Law Enforcement Center.

Before she was killed, life for the couple couldn&8217;t have been better.

&8220;Our lives were a perfect, happy dream,&8221; he said.

He and April met at a county fair when he was 14 years old, and nine years later, they were married.

Joshua said his wife was his best friend, a person who loved life and lived it to the fullest. He described her as someone who was enthusiastic about life and who would always go the extra mile to be kind to anyone in need.

But that dream changed April 17, when April was found murdered in the couple&8217;s Rochester home at 4809 22nd Ave. N.W., he said.

&8220;Now I&8217;m living a nightmare I cannot wake up from,&8221; the husband said.

Authorities said the 27-year-old woman died as a result of &8220;both blunt and sharp force injury&8221; and that her killer set fire to the house to cover the crime.

&8220;April had a gentle nature about her and would never hurt anyone,&8221; Joshua said, as he wiped tears from his eyes. &8220;That is why her family and I continually ask ourselves, &8216;Why would anyone harm our beautiful April? She was such a good person, and she lived such a meaningful life. Who could do this unthinkable act to such an innocent person?&8217;&8221;

The loss is indescribable, he said.

&8220;All of our lives will never be the same &8212; ever,&8221; Joshua said.

The husband said his wife loved sports &8212; especially volleyball and basketball. She also enjoyed running and had finished three individual marathons with her dad and sister and had raced in Med City relay marathons with other family members.

One of her favorite pastimes was snowmobiling, he said.

&8220;We shared many laughs and smiles throughout our relationship, some of those coming from our several family snowmobiling trips,&8221; Joshua said. &8220;April was already planning a snowmobiling trip for next winter. But now her snowmobile and new helmet sit untouched and no plans are being made.&8221;

April was also a hard worker who excelled at her job and who was a 4.0 student, he added. She had been attending Rochester Community Technical College, and one month after her death, he received a letter from the college that stated April was the top candidate for acceptance into their school of dental hygiene. She would have been so excited, but &8220;now it is another shattered dream for me and her family,&8221; Joshua said.

&8220;Not only have her family and I suffered a great loss, but the communities April was a part of are suffering too,&8221; he said. &8220;The number of people who grieve for April goes way beyond me and our families.&8221;

And all that remains now, he said, are his precious memories and bittersweet thoughts of what could have been with his wife.

&8220;Today, her family and I live with the fact that April is never coming back, and we also live with the fact that this could happen to any of your loved ones… for no reason,&8221; he said.

He encouraged anyone who had any information to help the police solve the crime to contact the Rochester Police Department.

He said the family decided to make its first public statement after 2 1/2 months because &8220;we needed to bring April to you, to show how much she means to us and how much the loss is to us.&8221;

&8220;There&8217;s just no reason we should be in this room today,&8221; he said.

In attendance with Joshua were his parents, David and JoAnn Sorensen of Alden, April&8217;s parents, Jon and Sandy Larson of Hayward, and her sister and brother. Joshua was the only family member to comment.

To contact the Rochester Police Department with any information, call (507) 285-8580 or call anonymously at 328-6888. The city of Rochester is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for April&8217;s death.