Apple River trial defendant's fate now up to Wisconsin jury

The jury in the Apple River stabbing trial began deliberating on Wednesday afternoon, as they weigh starkly contrasting pictures of a defendant charged with killing a Stillwater teenager and injuring four others during a confrontation that turned deadly on a beautiful summer day.

Nicolae Miu, of Prior Lake, has been charged with first degree intentional homicide and four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide over the July 30, 2022 incident at the popular recreation area near Somerset, Wis. — a popular destination for inner-tubing in the warm months.

Not that long after deliberations began at 12:30 p.m., jurors returned to the courtroom after requesting another viewing of a three-minute, 25-second video that shows the melee leading up to the stabbings.

Miu stabbed Isaac Schuman, Alexander Martin, Dante Carlson, Anthony Carlson and Rhyley Mattison after an argument escalated to violence, leaving blood and screams in its wake. Schuman, 17, died from his injuries. While admitting to the stabbings, Miu says he was in fear for his own life.

"Nicolae was not in fear, he snapped. He was angry and he snapped, and he knew it," Prosecuting Attorney Karl Anderson said during closing arguments. "If he was actually in fear, he would have left."

Turning to the jury and nodding to a TV where photos of Schuman appeared, Anderson called the teenager's death senseless. He said Miu should have walked away from the fight. Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that Miu, 54, was angry when slashing at Schuman and others.

And when authorities arrested Miu near the river's exit about an hour after the stabbing, prosecutors said the lies he told showed him trying to hide his crime.

Defense attorney countered that Miu was scared and surrounded by drunk people who were yelling at him. The Prior Lake man had revealed Tuesday that he unfolded his knife before the fight began, but defense attorney Corey Chirafisi said his client was justified in trying to defend himself.

"They got in his face, they screamed at him they called him names, they swore at him they put hands on him ... and this man, who had heart surgery, is terrified of what's going on," Chirafisi said. "If you believe it's probably self-defense, he's not guilty. If you believe it's possibly self-defense, he's not guilty."

"Nic didn't move toward Isaac Schuman," Chirafisi added. "Isaac Schuman moved toward him."

While Miu faces a potential life sentence on charges of first-degree intentional homicide and is facing multiple counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, prosecutors on Tuesday also requested that jurors consider lesser charges.

That could include second-degree intentional homicide, or first- or second-degree reckless homicide for the death of Schuman; and a series of lesser possible charges for stabbing the other four individuals. The lesser charges could come into play if the jury does not believe that Miu intended to kill Schuman or was trying to kill the others.

In his jury instructions before sending them out to deliberate, Judge Michael Waterman told jurors to draw their own conclusions from the evidence. The verdict must be unanimous.

"There is no magic way for you to evaluate the testimony; instead, you should use your common sense and experience," Waterman told jurors. "In everyday life, you determine for yourselves the reliability of things people say to you. You should do the same thing here."