Wisc. Hmong Killer Gets Maximum Sentence

12/1/07

In Wisconsin, James Nichols, convicted of murdering Cha Vang, a Hmong American, while both were out squirrel hunting in the woods, was sentenced to the maximum 69 years in prison. Originally charged with first-degree homicide, Nichols was convicted of second-degree homicide and other lesser charges in October.

The preceding Monday, the Hmong and Asian American community rallied for racial justice in Madison. The judge, David Mirron, rejected Nichol's claims of self-defense. While Nichols apologized to Vang's widow, she put her face in her hands and wept and Mirron said, "Frankly, I think it is too little too late."

Vang, a 30-year-old father of five, was found dead earlier this year in a wildlife refuge. An autopsy concluded that he was hit by a shotgun blast and stabbed in the neck five times. Vang also had a 3- to 4-inch wooden stick in his clenched teeth. Nichols had made negative comments about Hmong Americans under police questioning. The death occurred during a period of racial tensions in northwest Wisconsin, involving conflicts between white and Hmong hunters. See previous Azine story

Many in the Hmong community feared that Vang’s murder might have been hate-motivated. Although prosecutors failed to file a hate crime charge, the Asian American Justice center and Southeast Asian American Organizations have cited this case to show the need to Strengthen Hate Crime Laws 

Cha Vang

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