Nicolae Miu, found guilty in Apple River stabbing trial, sentenced to 20 years
HUDSON, Wis. — Nicolae Miu, the 54-year-old man who stabbed multiple people on the Apple River in 2022 and was convicted of homicide and other charges, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Wednesday.
A judge sentenced Miu on six counts: 20 years for first-degree reckless homicide, five years each for three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, six years on a fourth count of the same and 270 days in jail for one count of battery. The sentences will run concurrently.
The judge also gave Miu six total years of extended supervision and credit for 732 days served.
Miu was found guilty in April for the six counts above. Isaac Schuman, 17, was killed in the stabbings and four others were injured. The victims ranged in age from 17 to 24 and were from Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Victim impact statements: "He stole Isaac's life"
Schuman's mother, Alina Hernandez, was the first to give a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing.
Hernandez, who also testified during the trial, said her son was a "mother's dream" who loved school and learning. He was a musician who played cello and piano, and also had a passion for sports. He was supposed to be golfing on the day he died.
She said that Miu "stole Isaac's life and he stole my life." She said that justice would be to get her child back.
"I hope that monster suffers as much as I do every day until he gets to hell," she said.
She asked the judge to give Miu the maximum sentence.
Schuman's sister, Alexis Hernandez, gave an impact statement, saying she still has a hard time thinking about the fact that he'll never come home. She said the trauma over the last two years has impacted every part of her life.
Prosecution seeks 70 years
Prosecutor Karl Anderson says the state seeks a 70-year sentence for Miu. In count 1 for Schuman's homicide, the state recommends the maximum sentence of 45 years of initial confinement, followed by 20 years of extended supervision.
For recklessly endangering safety — counts 2-5 — the state recommends six years of initial confinement, followed by five years of extended supervision.
And on count 6, the battery, the state recommends one year, with all counts running consecutively.
Anderson built his statement around the premise that Miu has no remorse for his crimes and can't accept any personal responsibility, pointing to Miu's jailhouse phone calls to his brother, spoken in their native Romanian.
Anderson claims in those calls, Miu describes the teenagers to his brother as "demons from hell" and "baboon bastards" and doesn't acknowledge he killed Schuman.
Anderson says Miu "can't stop lying" in the calls, saying he told his brother he didn't pull out his knife until after he was attacked and down in the water; the teenagers had knives; he didn't try to flee the scene; and he tried to run away from the groups.
The prosecutors also say in those phone calls, Miu accused law enforcement of hiding evidence, and blamed his own group, including his wife, for not stepping in to help him.
Miu also is alleged to have said he "would've rushed there terminating those guys, leaving them belly up" if someone else in his group were under threat like he was.
"Obviously he's still angry. He was angry at the time, he wasn't afraid," Anderson said.
Anderson went on to defend his team's claim that Miu didn't act in self-defense by highlighting a law enforcement search of his Jeep weeks after the deadly attack. Investigators found a large machete concealed below his center console.
Miu's now former wife told law enforcement at the time the weapon was there for self-defense, then instead said it "may be for camping."
Anderson argued the weapon wouldn't be used for self-defense in a road rage situation. It would be used offensively "because he'd have to get out of his car."
Defense pushes for probation instead of prison
Defense attorney Aaron Nelson rejected the prosecution's claim that Miu was motivated by vengeance. He said the state's suggestion that the situation could've de-escalated if Miu had first shown the group his knife is "a common sense acknowledgment that the circumstances were being escalated by someone other than Miu." Nelson also pointed to the two instances where Miu turned away from the group before the attack.
"This was not an intentional act that needs to be modified," Nelson said. "This was a reckless act. (Miu) didn't act with malice and forethought. He acted out of fear."
He went on to clarify that one of the Romanian words Miu used in his jailhouse phone calls with his brother, which prosecutors claim translates to "bastard" in English, actually means "an unfortunate."
Nelson told Judge Michael Waterman the defense feels probation should first be considered instead of a prison sentence. He insisted Miu is not a threat to the public, he's in no need of any treatment that can be provided by incarceration, and probation wouldn't "unduly depreciate the seriousness" of his crimes.
"For anyone to try to simplify it to say the only thing in which we can appreciate the seriousness of something is a lengthy prison sentence, that undermines the criminal justice system," he said.
Miu addresses the court
Before Waterman handed down the sentence, Miu - clad in orange inmate clothing, handcuffed and in tears - told the courtroom how "deeply sorry" he is to Schuman's family for their loved one's death.
"I was directly involved in the tragic and unimaginable death at such a young age," Miu said. "My soul is broken, my heart is very heavy. I pray to God for forgiveness, compassion and love for everyone affected directly and indirectly by this tragic event. I hope you appreciate how much I'm sorry for the outcome of those events."
Judge Waterman's pre-sentencing statement
Waterman told the courtroom before handing down his sentence that he believes Miu is genuinely sorry for his crimes.
"Other than his conduct on July 30, Mr. Miu appears to be a non-violent, peaceful man," Waterman said.
He recounted the "great obstacles" Miu faced in his life, including fleeing "the brutal hands of a communist regime" in his homeland.
He also touched on "the proudest moment" of Miu's life: becoming an American citizen.
"There is more to Mr. Miu than what he did on July 30. A fair and just sentence takes into account the complete person, not just his worst acts," Waterman said.
Waterman said that while a criminal assessment tool concluded Miu is unlikely to re-offend, he still must serve time.
"He broke the social compact," Waterman said.
Miu was found guilty of six charges in April
During the trial, defense attorney Aaron Nelson said Miu was with some of his friends on the day of the stabbing. He brought his pocket knife that day because his friend asked him to, and he also brought his snorkel and goggles.
At some point, Nelson said Miu's friend lost his phone and the group went to look for it downriver. According to witness testimony and evidence presented at the trial, Miu was looking for it in the river when Schuman's group began taunting him. Others on the river joined the confrontation, which turned physical and ended when Miu pulled out a knife and began stabbing.
Miu's trial lasted eight days and more than three dozen witnesses took the stand. Jurors heard testimony from Schuman's mother, other stabbing victims, witnesses, law enforcement and Miu himself. They saw cellphone video of the confrontation, body camera footage of the law enforcement response and a recording of Miu's initial interview with authorities.
During the trial, the prosecution sought to prove Miu was the aggressor, while Miu's attorneys argued he acted in self-defense.
The jury deliberated for about a day before it handed down the verdicts. St. Croix County District Attorney Karl Anderson, who prosecuted Miu, said he could face up to 97 years in prison. Miu's defense attorney Aaron Nelson said he faces "substantial, life-changing penalties.
Schuman's family launches foundation in his honor
Schuman's family has created a new scholarship through a nonprofit foundation named in his honor.
"We are committed to providing opportunities for young individuals to realize their potential and achieve the dreams that Isaac once had," said Alina Hernandez, Schuman's mother.
The family said the scholarship program is designed to support young people pursuing their educational goals, entrepreneurial dreams or creative ventures.
They said Schuman was a budding entrepreneur who had a successful car and boat detailing business. His family adds he was also hoping to go to college to become an engineer.
They are now accepting donations for the scholarship through the Isaac Schuman Foundation. Its second annual golf tournament will be held Monday at Stillwater's Oak Glen Golf Course.
The scholarship is open to all youth. While the tournament is already full for golfers, there's still one spot open for a sponsor.
