Posted on 09/16/2005 3:42:58 PM PDT by Jean S
Chai Soua Vang was found guilty this afternoon of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of six hunters in Wisconsin's north woods last fall.
A jury of eight women and four men deliberated about four hours before coming to their verdict.
Vang was also found guilty of two counts of attempted homicide in the shootings of two other hunters who survived.
Killed in the confrontation last Nov. 21 were Dennis Drew, 55; Mark Roidt, 28; Robert Crotteau, 42; his son, Joey, 20; Allan Laski, 43, and Jessica Willers, 27. Wounded in the shootings were Terry Willers, 48, and Lauren Hesebeck, 49.
Four of the victims were shot in the back, and all but Willers were unarmed.
The jury was faced with deciding whether to accept Vang's defense that he feared for his own life against a group of hunters who confronted him with hostility when they saw him in a tree stand on their property.
Jurors could have acquitted Vang, or convicted him on lesser charges of second-degree intentional homicide if they had determined he actually believed he was in danger but that his actions were unreasonable.
-More to come -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRIDAY, Sept. 16, 2005, 5:16 p.m. Jury reaches verdict in Vang trial
A jury has reached a verdict in the trial of Chai Soua Vang, a Minnesota man accused of killing six hunters and wounding two others during a confrontation in Wisconsin's north woods last November. The verdict is to be read in a Sawyer County courthouse soon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRIDAY, Sept. 16, 2005, 1:39 p.m. Attorneys give closing arguments in Vang trial
An immigrant truck driver cannot reasonably claim he was defending himself when he opened fire on a group of hunters, killing six, the prosecutor told jurors today. But the defense said the confrontation was all about racial prejudice.
Chai Soua Vang ambushed some of the victims and chased down one of them, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager said in her closing argument during the sixth day of Vang's trial.
In his closing, Vang's attorney, Steven Kohn, told jurors the prosecution cannot prove who fired the first shot. Vang had testified he started firing only after one of the hunters shot at him first.
"In the courtroom, the tie goes to the defendant," Kohn said.
That didn't take long.
I'm glad this case is being resolved before the 05-06 deer season. We hunters don't need any more bad press.
i recall some freepers trying to "explain" this one away with the ol race excuse when it happened.
This is a sad case. If they jury had found him not guilty, the Anglo population would revolt. Now, we wait to see the reaction of the Hmong community. I know quite a few and they have been curiously quiet about this case.
It probably took 3 minutes to decide the verdict and then hang around for lunch. Prime example of why the death penalty is an excellent idea.
Good news!
"That didn't take long."
As it should be.
Bad press for hunters is undeserved in any event. The bad press should all be for Vang, who deserves the verdicts he got.
"cannot prove who fired the first shot...Chai Soua Vang ambushed some of the victims and chased down one ...feared for his own life against a group of hunters...Four of the victims were shot in the back, and all but Willers were unarmed"
They're probably embarrassed that someone identified with them turned out to be a mass-murdering psycho.
Lautenschlager arranged for a change of venue, she decided on a Madison jury. I think this decision was a miracle.
I really could not care any less about a groups reaction. If they riot, shoot them. If they don't like it, they are free to leave the area, the county and the country. What don't you understand about a mass murder?
We all will enter the '05 deer gun season with heavy hearts. God Bless the survivors, the families and friends.
Thanks for posting Jean. Glad to hear he was convicted.
Poaching is something of a tradition/habit and winked at among the Hmong, but this guy went WAY over the line. He has brought shame upon his community (something Anglos by and large seem to have forgotten.)
Don't think we'll see much of a public reaction. A few liberals may try to make some hay about racial prejudice, but I don't think it will resonate.
Good. Lock him up, throw away the key.
What a horrible mass murderer! And, shooting people in the back!! This is a horror story, all the way to the POS lawyer playing the race card. Despicable.
There were also a lot of freepers who thought that a mostly-women Madison jury was going to let the guy off. The fact that they came back with verdict in just four hours is telling.
Verdict is in!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.