Sterling Heights man sentenced to life in prison for 2023 murder of girlfriend
A judge has sentenced a Sterling Heights, Michigan, man to life in prison for the 2023 murder of his girlfriend, Dhoua Lao, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.
In June, a jury found 45-year-old Martin Yost guilty of first-degree premeditated murder in the killing of Lao. The prosecutor's office said the sentence, handed down on Thursday, carries no possibility of parole.
Yost "brutally beat" Lao to death on Nov. 13, 2023, according to prosecutors, and was later found passed out in the driver's seat of his vehicle with Lao dead in the passenger seat by police in Roseville, Michigan.
"The cruelty inflicted upon her was horrific, and no family should ever have to endure the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one in such a violent manner," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a written statement on Thursday.
Michigan Department of Corrections records show Yost was sentenced in 2015 and 2020 in connection with domestic violence incidents.
The prosecutor's office said Lao was the mother of two daughters who are unrelated to Yost.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224. The prosecutor's office also urges anyone in need of help in Macomb County to call Turning Point at 586-463-6990 or, if it's an emergency, 911.
