Kare11
Nicolae Miu Trial Day 7: Defendant could take the stand
Prosecutors indicated they only have one or two witnesses remaining, opening the door for Miu’s team to begin building their defense.
HUDSON, Wis — The homicide trial of Nicolae Miu could see its most dramatic moment Tuesday as prosecutors are expected to wrap their case, opening the door for the defendant to take the stand in his own defense.
Miu, 54, is charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide and four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide for a deadly stabbing spree that took place on the Apple River on July 30, 2022. Prosecutors say Miu pulled a knife during a confrontation with people from two separate groups, fatally stabbing 17-year-old Isaac Schuman of Stillwater and wounding four others, one of those victims nearly dying as well.
Miu’s legal team calls the explosion of violence a clear case of self-defense, saying Miu was surrounded by more than a dozen people who were screaming, taunting, and physically attacking him.
Tuesday marks Day 7 of the high-profile trial. The prosecution has rapidly moved through its witness list and indicated Monday that they only have one or two more people to question. The defense team has already called a couple of its main witnesses due to the unavailability of some prosecution witnesses, meaning Miu himself could take the stand sometime late Tuesday morning or early afternoon.
The prosecution’s case has been built on video of the actual confrontation shot on the river that fateful day, and emotional testimony from those involved in the altercation and its aftermath. During cross-examination of prosecution witnesses Miu’s defense team has hammered away at inconsistencies between recollections and memories from the stand and the actual statements that witnesses made to investigators on the day of the stabbings two years ago.
If convicted by a St. Croix County jury, Nicolae Miu could be sentenced to life in prison.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
Police said the 7-year-old victim was skateboarding on Saturday night.
Read the original article
The road closure is expected to last until about 11:30 p.m. tonight, according to MnDOT.
MINNETONKA, Minn. — Officials have closed the westbound lanes of US Highway 12 starting at I-494 in Minnetonka after a collision occurred on Saturday night.
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s 511 Map, the road is closed and there was a “serious crash,” on the highway.
The road closure is expected to last until about 11:30 p.m. tonight, according to MnDOT.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
“It’s amazing how well and good the people are helping out,” volunteer Connie Guinn said.
ELK PARK, N.C. — It’s still difficult for Mike Ellenburg to see the damage Helene left in Elk Park, North Carolina.
“Never in my lifetime, no I have not,” Ellenburg, Fire Chief at the Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department, said. “We had to bring in heavy equipment and open the road up.”
The storm left homes destroyed, trees toppled and cars flipped. It’s left roads near rivers and creeks nearby unrecognizable.
“Used to be a paved road, houses on both sides,” he said. “They’re gone.”
“You’ll see some vehicles down here that are sideways, and they’ll have spray paint on ’em,” Ellenburg continued. “Marking that that vehicle has been checked and that nobody was inside of it or around it.”
Ellenburg says he believes there are four areas around Elk Park in a similar state, damaged and difficult to get into. Despite that, help is still coming, both from the town and the rest of the state.
“We’re just trying to get it organized,” Connie Guinn, a volunteer said, standing in front of pallets of food and water. “Because we can’t find nothing, and neither can anybody else.”
Donations have continued to arrive at the Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department. Ellenburg says some have even come from around the country.
Other agencies, like the Dallas, North Carolina volunteer fire department, have also arrived to help where they can.
“It’s amazing how well and good the people are helping out,” Guinn said.
Ellenburg says it will take time to rebuild their community, but it’s made easier to get through with neighbors like theirs.
“I would only say that I don’t want to live anywhere else but here in Avery County, North Carolina,” he said.
