HUDSON, Wis. — A Wisconsin jury has found Nicolae Miu guilty on all counts involving the stabbing of five people, killing Stillwater teen Isaac Schuman on the Apple River in 2022.
Judge R. Michael Waterman read off the verdicts in open court shortly after 11 a.m. Jurors found Miu guilty on one count of first-degree reckless homicide in the death of Isaac Schuman. They determined he was also guilty on four counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety while using a weapon in the stabbings of A.J. Martin, Dante Carlson, Tony Carlson and Ryhley Mattison.
All of those criminal counts were reduced in severity by the jury, which was given the latitude by Judge Waterman to do so.
Miu was also found guilty of battery for punching Madison Coen in the face during their encounter on the river.
Wisconsin statute calls for a recommended sentence of up to 60 years for first-degree reckless homicide. At this point a sentencing date has not been set. St. Croix County District Attorney Karl Anderson says the first-degree reckless endangerment charges each carry a sentence of 7.5 years behind bars plus another five of supervision.
At this time a sentencing date has not been set.
Anderson said he and the prosecution team were "relieved" at the verdict.
"I'm relieved for Isaac's family, the other victims," Anderson reflected. "As anyone can see in this case, it's absolutely tragic at so many levels."
Anderson said the video was important in gaining the convictions, but as crucial was what Miu did - washing and discarding the knife on the riverbank, walking (and not running) back to his group, and not saying a word to them about what just happened. The DA says Miu's lie about the boys pulling knives on him show he understood the consequences of his actions and knew they weren't committed in self-defense.
"He wasn't afraid, he was angry," Anderson said.
Defense attorney Aaron Nelson spoke with reporters outside the courthouse following the verdict, saying Miu and his attorneys were surprised at the jury's decision.
"Respectfully disappointed," Nelson said. "I understand it's a huge task the jury just undertook, we obviously disagree with deep sadness.
When asked about Miu's reaction, his attorney was succinct. "He's sad, obviously disappointed in the result and contemplating his future life."
Isaac's father made a statement for his family, clearly bearing the weight of loss and what they've been through in the almost two years that have passed since the teen's death. He thanked supporters, prosecutors, law enforcement and complete strangers who have stood behind the family through this ordeal.
"It's been 21 months we've been waiting for justice for Isaac Michael Schuman," Donald Hernandez told reporters, his voice cracking, "and we got it today. So I just want to tell everybody I appreciate all your love and support."
KARE 11's Lou Raguse was at the St. Croix County Courthouse for the verdict. He says jurors left following the reading of the verdicts but were not interested in discussing how they reached a decision.
Nicolae Miu was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the stabbing death of 17-year-old Schuman, and four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide for allegedly stabbing four others who survived. The jury had the option to convict Miu of lesser charges as well, if they didn't think his actions fit the legal definition of intentional homicide.
Jurors received the case on the eighth day of the trial, after hearing testimony from a variety of witnesses including stabbing victims, law enforcement at the scene that day and finally, Miu himself. Throughout the trial the strategies of both the prosecution and defense were clear: Prosecutors told jurors that Miu himself was the instigator in the violence, and had multiple opportunities to remove himself from the situation while Miu's defense team says it is a classic case of self-defense. While on the stand, Nicolae Miu told jurors he was terrified, and thought he was going to die on that day.
Miu told the jury he was looking for a friend's lost phone in the river and ran into a group of teens who were tubing. In a video captured by one of the teens, he ran up and grabbed their tubes to stop them.
The teenagers started yelling, accusing Miu of "looking for little girls," and the conflict quickly escalated. A third group became involved in the escalating altercation. Madison Coen and Ryhley Mattison stood close to Miu in the video, and Miu said he "pushed [Coen] away from my face."
Others who were there say Miu actually punched Coen in the face. Several witnesses testified to seeing this interaction or hearing shouts of "he hit a girl," and then additional people gathered around the group, including stabbing victims Tony and Dante Carlson.
Immediately afterward the initial conflict, the defense says the groups of teens converged, pushing Miu backward into the water and taunting him with names such as "raper" and "pedophile." Once Miu stood up from the water, he took out his knife as seen in the video, though several witnesses said they didn't realize he had a weapon until after he started swinging.
Prosecutor Brian Smestad pressed the defendant while he was on the stand, detailing how after being pushed back down into the river, Miu put the blade of his knife in A.J. Martin's belly and ripped upwards. The prosecution said after stabbing Martin, nobody was physically engaged with Miu, no one was hitting or kicking him, and yet he still lunged and stabbed Tony Carlson twice as he stepped in to help his injured friends.
"At that point, I couldn't tell what was going on," the defendant said. "I couldn't see, I couldn't hear... I was fearing for my life. I had merely seconds to think."
Smestad told jurors that Miu stabbed Ryhley Mattison, and then Isaac Schuman as he tried to come to the woman's aid. Video showed Schuman trying to push Miu away, and then the defendant inflicting the fatal wound.
The state called a nurse who attempted to resuscitate Schuman on the river bank as he was dying. The remaining four victims were transported to the hospital. Miu walked further down the river before he was quickly picked up by the St. Croix County Sheriff.
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