The man found guilty of murdering a 17-year-old and injuring four others during a violent brawl was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday.
Nicolae Miu, 54, was convicted of reckless homicide for fatally stabbing Isaac Schuman near Apple River in Wisconsin in 2022. He was also found guilty on additional charges, including multiple counts of reckless endangering safety. He faced a maximum sentence of over 100 years in prison.
In addition to the 20-year sentence for killing Schuman, St. Croix County District Judge R. Michael Waterman ruled Miu will concurrently serve four five-year sentences for each of the injured victims.
Wateman stated that Miu must serve six years of extended supervision after he completes his 20-year sentence. Miu will get credit for the time he’s spent in prison so far. He will be 72 when he’s released.
Schuman’s mother, Alina Hernandez, spoke at the sentencing hearing.
“I think about Isaac all day, every day,” Hernandez said. “Losing Isaac, my baby, has devastated me and shattered my heart.”
Hernandez requested the highest possible sentence for Miu.
“He has no remorse. He plays the victim. It makes me nauseous,” Hernandez said. “Judge, I ask you to sentence him to the fullest.”
Isaac’s father, Scott Schuman, said his son’s death has left a “deep and painful void.”
“I wake up every day with a profound sense of loss and sadness,” Scott Schuman said. “Simple tasks that once brought me joy now seem meaningless.”
Donny Hernandez, Schuman’s stepfather, said the loss is “indescribable.”
Prosecutors recommended a 70-year sentence, consisting of 45 years for murdering Isaac Schuman, six years each for the injuring the other victims and one year for battery.
“It’s hard to put into words how graphic and horrific this was,” Karl Anderson, the St. Croix County District Attorney, said.
Miu apologized for his actions when he spoke at the proceeding.
“My soul is broken; my heart is very heavy,” Miu said. “I never meant for this tragedy to occur.”
His attorney told him to speak directly to the judge, but Miu turned to acknowledge Isaac Schuman’s parents first.
The sentencing comes one day after the two-year anniversary of the fatal incident. Miu pulled a knife out and began stabbing people after he heard some of Isaac Schuman’s friends mocking him.
At the hearing, Anderson recounted how Miu threw his knife into the riverbank, did not call the police and acted like he was unaware of what happened when he first spoke to Sheriff Scott Knudson.
Anderson also claimed that Miu called the teenagers “bastards” in a phone call to his brothers. Miu’s lawyer, Aaron Nelson, countered that the translation was off, as he was speaking in Romanian, and it more closely translates to “unfortunates.”
Nelson asked the court for a “measured response” in its sentence.
“Vengeance is not something that any of us should aspire to or aspire others toward,” Nelson said. “Justice is different than vengeance.”
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