MARINETTE, Wis., Nov. 28, 2007
Hunter Who Killed Hmong Man Gets 69 Years
White Hunter Sentenced In Slaying That Rekindled Racial Tensions In Northern Wisconsin
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James Nichols, left, and his attorney, Henry Schultz, confer during his trial Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007, in Marinette, Wis. (AP Photo/H. Marc Larson)
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An undated family photo of Cha Vang. (AP)
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James Nichols, left, and his attorney, Henry Schultz, look at an exhibit during his trial, Oct. 4, 2007, in Marinette, Wis. (AP Photo/H. Marc Larson)
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Pang Vue holds a picture of her husband, Cha Vang, as she sits with her children and family prior to a vigil at the United Hmong Community Center in Green Bay, Wis., Jan. 11 2007. (AP)
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James Nichols, 28, was convicted last month of second-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the death of Cha Vang. The killing rekindled racial tensions in northern Wisconsin, where a Hmong hunter fatally shot six white hunters three years ago.
Vang, 30, was found Jan. 6 in a wildlife refuge where Nichols had also been hunting squirrels. Vang had a wooden stick in his clenched teeth, and his body was hidden in a depression covered with a log and other debris. An autopsy indicated he was shot once and stabbed five times.
Vang was born in Laos, fled to a refugee camp in Thailand and immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 2004, part of a wave of several hundred thousand Hmong who fled Laos for the United States after the communists seized control in 1975 following the Vietnam War. Many settled in Wisconsin.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Nichols after he went to a hospital Jan. 5 with a bullet lodged in his right hand and an injury to his other hand - about the same time members of Vang's hunting party reported him missing.
Nichols did not testify, but the jury heard tape recordings in which he told law enforcement officials he acted in self-defense after Vang shot him. Nichols said the fight started after he told Vang to leave because he was interfering with his hunt.
Nichols said he ducked behind a tree and took a "wild shot" at Vang with a shotgun. Vang shot him again before Nichols rushed him, took away his gun and stabbed him in the neck with a pocketknife, he said.
But Nichols also told authorities Hmong people are bad, mean and "kill everything and that they go for anything that moves."
Prosecutors used those statements and testimony from Nichols' former boss to argue that he took advantage of the woods' isolation to act on his prejudice against the Hmong.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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The secrets of tennis legend 
Wisconsin. Tempers are flaming here because there are Hmong gangs...where life used to be peaceful. I am not blaming the Hmongs...I am blaming the drug abuse that runs rampant in northern Wisconsin. Don''t blame the Hmongs blame all of society!
In order to try to control the hunting issue here...No Trespassing Signs...Private Property Signs..and No Hunting Signs are printed in English and Hmong.
If you take this, you''ll keep getting it. These judges are corrupt, our whole system is corrupt, and we need to do something about it. These rich trash have to be eliminated from our country. It will only get worse. Sooner or later, we have to make some hard choices in this country about who gets to live and who doesn''t. Think of it as major sugery to remove a cancer, the cancer of traitorous wealthy who destroy our way of life, who laugh at justice, at fairness, at our basic American values.
Let''s shove that lagh back down their greedy, corrupt throats, and save our nation.
Re: "A white hunter convicted of killing a Hmong immigrant while both stalked squirrels in the woods was sentenced Wednesday to the maximum 69 years in prison."
Imagine if he had been hunting with ******** Cheney. He would have probably received a parade.
I do! But I don''t shoot others for being in the woods. This criminal got what he deserved, if the facts are presented correctly. Seems if it had truly been self defense he would not have hidden the body. Either way, he was a felon in possession of a firearm.
I enjoyed your comments about the GI wannabe''s. It is like that all over.
City people shooting cows and not knowing the difference! these city types can be from small cities.
- rational_1
That''s priceless!!
What does this un-educated low life felon know about who the Hmong people are? Does he know the sacrifices the Hmong people gave up to help the Americans during the Vietnam War? It is unjust to generalize one people based on the actions of one individual. That''s what prejudice is.
Furthermore the media has not accurately published what the Hmongs have really accomplished for the Americans. It is true the Hmongs fled for the US after the Vietnam War. However, it is far too many times forgotten this was due to their alliance with the US during the Vietnam War. Since the US lost the war and evacuated Vietnam, the Commmunist Lao gvt has called the Hmongs traitors and vowed to eliminate them.
I should not have to run a history course on this blog page, but feel the need to in order to set things a little straighter. Any self-proclaimed proud Americans should know the history of their own country.
Since then, it appears the situation hasn''t changed much and has maybe got worse with all these "Rambo''s" out there thinking they are stalking Osama Bin Laden!
Why don''t they all join Blackwater? That way, they would even get paid for blowing people away!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!
It''s a lot easier to blame the gun rather than hold criminals responsible for their own actions.
Both guys had guns. Now one''s dead and the other will spend his life in prison. It doesn''t seem like either one got much "protection" out of his gun!
Armed paranoiacs: No Thanks!
- by michaelt302 November 28, 2007 4:08 PM EST
- No big loss.
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