Hunter Who Killed Hmong Man Gets 69 Years

White Hunter Sentenced In Slaying That Rekindled Racial Tensions In Northern Wisconsin

(AP)  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.

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.

[michaelt302]

No big loss.

[cryonbrian]

Sad! People can find nothing better but to kill someone because they are different! I hope he rots in jail! Loser!

[myidoncbs]

Where''s gunownerdan, to tell us how we''ll all be "safer" if we just get more guns!

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!

[gunownerdan]

MyIDonCBS,
It''s a lot easier to blame the gun rather than hold criminals responsible for their own actions.

[walt1944-2009]

My brother, who was stationed at an AF base in Northern Michigan in the 1970''s, told me that he had been told NEVER to leave base during the hunting season. That''s when all the "GI Joe wanna be''s" come out and blow away anything that moves in the woods, including each other!

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!!!

[displeased]

These guy''s actions were caused by anger and hatred. Even if they had been hunting with rocks, they would have found a way to kill each other.

[misands]

This guy deserves prison. He admits he was able to take Mr. Vang''s gun from him. If he disarmed the guy, the he had no reason to kill him since Mr. Vang is no longer a threat. This was a clear case of murder.

[rational_1]

He killed a guy for interfering in his SQUIRREL hunt? Who hunts squirrels? Oooh, big game hunter, bagging those squirrels. Going to mount the head over your fireplace? Maybe the fireplace in your daughter''s Barbie doll house. This is just plain pathetic - spending the rest of your life in jail over a fight about squirrel hunting turf. Sounds like a Monty Python skit

[pplofdeworld]

Quote from the article: ''Nichols also told authorities Hmong people are bad, mean and "kill everything and that they go for anything that moves."''
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.

[misands]

Going to mount the head over your fireplace?
- rational_1

That''s priceless!!

[cmp271]

walt1944

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.

[bhappy2-2]

He killed a guy for interfering in his SQUIRREL hunt? Who hunts squirrels? Posted by rational_1

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.

[beehive21-2009]

The system worked ,he''s going away for 69 years.All the fools who break the law need a long time to think about it,wonder why he''s a felon with a gun ? Gun laws don''t work all the crooks have them with your name on the bullet,so, get a few, to protect your space from the squirrily folks.

[feelfree1]

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.

[johnshaft4]

Hell, send the Hmong here to Denver and hunt down and kill the **** crack dealers. Good eatin''...bon apetit.

[sharncedar]

Then how did he get a bullet in the hand? If this was premeditated murder. Man, there are two systems of justice, one for the little white fancy pants Ivy League professor, who beat his wife''s head in just for yucks, and he got 4 years. Then an honest American defends himself against a ruthless killer Hmong, and he gets 63 years.

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.

[grammawhamma]

I agree this guy killed Mr. Vang and deserved his sentence. This was a racial issue. I live in Northern
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.

[keithle1]

Hunters. You gotta love ''em. I think it was Chris Rock who said the USA is the only country in the world where people hunt on a full stomach.

[Crazy-92]

Man why does people hate Hmong people so much, what did they do wrong, racial ass people.