Judge determines there is enough evidence to proceed with Nicolae Miu trial
HUDSON, Wis. -- A Prior Lake man accused of killing one person and stabbing four others on the Apple River earlier this summer appeared in court Friday.
Investigators say 52-year-old Nicolae Miu fatally stabbed 17-year-old Isaac Schuman on July 30 after an altercation between Miu and a group of tubers.
Schuman would have been a senior at Stillwater High School this year. A GoFundMe page in his name says he was driven and determined to be successful.
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The court appearance Friday was a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed with a trial. It lasted about 40 minutes.
Miu appeared in handcuffs, wearing an orange jumpsuit. Miu has been in jail since that fatal altercation on July 30. He listened with little expression, while Schuman's friends and family filled the courtroom behind him.
During the proceeding, Lt. Brandie Hart of the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office shared graphic details about the case. She talked about a witness cell phone video that showed Miu using a folding knife to stab people.
"The group was yelling go, get away, get out of here," said Lt. Hart.
Witnesses said Miu was initially in the Apple River with goggles and a snorkel. A group of tubers accused of him of looking at young girls under water, but Miu told investigators he was looking for a missing cell phone.
Hart said the video shows that other members of the group began to push and hit Miu in the water, at which point he begins to stab people with a folding knife.
"The camera pans around, the scene becomes pretty chaotic, victim one is in the river being tended to by another individual, victim two is clutching his abdomen and his intestines are out and the river water is red," Hart said.
Miu's attorneys say he was surrounded by a group who accused him of harassing girls. His attorney says he didn't act aggressive towards the group until he felt threatened.
The prosecution argues that Miu was the aggressor by stabbing five people. Schuman died on scene and four other people were stabbed in the torso and hospitalized. A knife, believed to belong to Miu, was later recovered by officers on the river bank.
Prosecutors did not show witness cell phone video in court, but according to Hart, the entire altercation was about three minutes long.
The judge did determine there is enough evidence to proceed with a trial and the next court date is set for Sept. 8 in St. Croix County.
Miu faces a first-degree intentional homicide charge.
