Wisconsin man convicted in killings of 3 men near a quarry
LA CROSSE, Wisconsin — A man has been convicted in the deadly shootings in 2021 involving three people men whose bodies were found outside a Wisconsin quarry.
A La Crosse County jury found Nya Thao, 37, of Onalaska guilty Tuesday on three counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. La Crosse Grandstand reported.
It was Thao’s second trial in the murder case; his first ended in a juryless verdict last year. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 14.
Thao and Khamthaneth Rattanasack were both charged in the July 2021 murders of Peng Lor and Nemo Yang, both 24, and Trevor Maloney, 23. Their bodies were found outside the entrance to a quarry about 14 miles (23 kilometers) northeast of La Crosse, which is along the Minnesota border.
Prosecutors said Rattanasack believed at least one of the three had stolen $600 from him. A woman who was with the victims told police Rattanasack told them to get on their knees and gave Thao the gun Thao used to shoot them multiple times.
Rattanasack pleaded guilty in October to one count of first-degree intentional homicide as an accessory to a crime. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in January.
La Crosse County Sheriff John Siegel said Tuesday’s verdict “closes the door on a heinous crime that was committed not only against three individuals, but against our entire community.”
The Associated Press sent an email to Thao’s attorney Thursday morning seeking comment on his client’s sentencing.