According to court records, 52-year-old Nicolae Mew is charged with one count of first-degree intentional murder and four counts of first-degree intentional murder.
At the hearing, state public defender Jeremiah Harrelson said Miu was tubing in the river with his wife and friends when they got separated while searching for his missing cell phone.
According to Harrelson, the attack stemmed from an “unexpected chance encounter” between Mew and the victim.
According to the complaint, Miu brandished a knife when the two women confronted him before a physical altercation ensued.
One of the victims told investigators that Miu had punched her in the face, but after being hit by a man, the group continued to push Miu as she fell into the water, giving way to a physical fight.
Miu, who repeatedly called the attack “self-defense,” told St. Croix County Court Deputy Chief Brandy Hart that he approached the group while they were looking for a cell phone with snorkeling gear and asked if they had seen the device. According to the complaint, they began to insult him, took his snorkel gear and threw it into the river, and tried to pull his pants down.
According to the complaint, Miu said he didn’t remember anything after people hit him or climbed over him until he ran to his wife and friends.
Mew was arrested about an hour and a half after the attack as he was exiting the river downstream.
The 17-year-old boy who died from the stabbing was identified as Isaac Schumann in a statement sent by his family to CNN affiliate KARE.
“Isaac entered every room with a big smile and an infectious positive aura that lifted everyone around him,” the statement read. “He had an incredibly bright future ahead of him. We are all heartbroken and devastated beyond words that his future was tragically and pointlessly truncated.”
According to court records, Miu’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 5th.
Source: www.cnn.com
