Apple River stabbing suspect trial: Victim’s friend describes trying to save 17-year-old’s life

Eric Chaloux KSTP

Apple River stabbing suspect trial: Victim’s friend describes trying to save 17-year-old’s life

Apple River stabbing suspect trial: Victim’s friend describes trying to save 17-year-old’s life

St. Croix County prosecutors continued a sixth day of presenting evidence in the case against Nicolae Miu at the courthouse in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Miu, age 54, from Prior Lake, Minn., is facing homicide, attempted homicide and battery charges stemming from the incident, which killed 17-year-old Isaac Schuman and hurt four others in Somerset, Wis.

Miu plead not guilty to the charges.

Owen Peloquin testified that he raced over to where his best friend, Schuman, was after he had been stabbed, as he was pulled to shore. “I tried my hardest to stop the bleeding,” Peloquin testified.

Cell phone video from July 30, 2022 captures Miu in an encounter with two groups of tubers on the Apple River, according to prosecutors.

The St. Croix County District Attorney showed the jury images from the video of Miu holding a knife, standing by two women. One of the women was yelling at him to leave, according to testimony. Previous witnesses say Miu then struck one of the women.

On Monday, Peloquin told the defense he only heard Miu hit the woman. “He looked like had a crazy look his face, she stumbled backwards, and she was standing right in front of him, clearly I could make out that he hit her, clearly I could,” Peloquin testified.

One of Miu’s lawyers, Corey Chirafisi, asked Peloquin how he knew that if he couldn’t see from his location.

“By using my brain and putting the pieces together, I could clearly tell he hit her,” Peloquin said.

Video then shows Miu pushed into the water by others. When the incident was over, prosecutors say Miu fatally stabbed Schuman and four adults. Miu’s defense team, during opening statements, told the jury, “…he (Miu) told the police, and he’ll tell you… he feared for his life.”

A group of teenage tubers have testified Miu allegedly made a comment about looking for young girls before the encounter. The defense strongly disputes the allegation, saying he was looking for a lost phone in the river.

A different group of adult tubers have testified they heard the commotion between Miu and the teens and stopped at the scene.

Miu had been tubing earlier with a group of friends and his wife.

“He said a very brief few words, and just stood there just kind of like in shock,” said Amanda Torres, one of Miu’s friends, who was called by the defense to testify about when he returned to their group.

The jury watched a video clip showing Miu and his group of friends leaving the scene floating downriver.

At the river’s exit, law enforcement say they detained Miu about an hour later.

Later in the evening, Nurse Ashley Hoffman took photographs of what Miu looked like at the St. Croix County Jail, noting abrasions on his back.

Hoffman testified about statements Miu made: “One statement was ‘there were about seven people on top of me, hitting me in the back of the head, and on the back, I don’t know with what’…. a second statement made was ‘they just attacked me, they called me a child rapist,’ a third statement made… was ‘a guy pulled a knife on me, I took his wrist, and turned it into his belly.’”

Testimony continues Tuesday morning in Hudson.

The prosecution’s final witnesses are expected to be called.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is streaming the trial live each day once the judge is seated each morning. You can watch in the video player above, or by CLICKING HERE to watch on our YouTube channel.