Screenshot / X, Screenshot / Somerset Police Department

The trial for Nicolae Miu, a resident of Prior Lake, Minnesota, who perpetrated a stabbing incident involving five individuals on Apple River in Wisconsin on July 30, 2022, concluded its first week on Friday.

The first week included testimony from friends and coworkers, in addition to more body cam footage being shown that captured the chaos as police arrived on the river.

The prosecution seeks to establish Miu, aged 54, as the aggressor in the case. Conversely, Miu's legal team is contending that he stabbed the five individuals in self-defense.

A 17-year-old boy named Isaac Schuman tragically lost his life in the stabbing, while four others sustained injuries. These victims, ranging in age from 17 to 24, were from both Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“Miu was looking for his phone when he ran into a group of young people who proceeded to harass and assault him, pushing him to the ground and punching him,” Ian Miles Cheong outlined on X.

“He pulled a pocketknife he used for cutting rope while tubing and cut five of them, one of whom didn’t survive,” he continued. “He’s now on trial, and argues that his actions were in self-defense.”

WARNING – GRAPHIC CTENT:

CBS News reports that Miu faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Schuman and attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the stabbings of Ryhley Mattison, A.J. Martin, Dante Carlson, and Tony Carlson. 

Miu entered a plea of not guilty to all charges in September 2022.

The first witness of the day, Gilma Constanza, provided her testimony with the assistance of a Spanish interpreter. 

Constanza, who was present on the river that day, testified that she observed Miu discarding something on the riverbank after the stabbings, although she was unsure of its nature.

She noted that Miu appeared “white and pale” following the incident.

Following Constanza, witness Alba Torres took the stand, providing her testimony with the aid of a Spanish interpreter also. 

Torres was among the group tubing with Miu on the day of the stabbings. She disclosed that she had known Miu for five or six years prior to the incident and regarded him as a friend. Torres mentioned she did not witness the altercation itself but observed its aftermath.

During Thursday's proceedings, additional body camera footage was presented in the trial, documenting the pandemonium that unfolded as law enforcement officers arrived on the river scene.

The footage depicts individuals walking up the riverbank, with some visibly distraught, crying, while others can be heard shouting that people have been stabbed.

St. Croix County Deputy Benjamin Trebian's testimony provided the jury with the initial insight into Miu's arrest.

Mitchell Schaeppi, an investigator for the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office, testified that he discovered the knife utilized in the stabbing incident on the river ledge, situated in a “muddy section of a shoreline.” He noted that the knife was closed when found.

Schaeppi proceeded to open a box containing the knife, displaying it to the courtroom and formally entering it as evidence in the trial.

The prosecution plans to summon 44 witnesses to the stand throughout the duration of the trial.

The maximum sentence for the intentional murder charge is life in prison.