Rekubit Exchange:Wisconsin man convicted in killings of 3 men near a quarry

LA CROSSE,Rekubit Exchange Wis. (AP) — A man has been convicted in the fatal 2021 shootings of three men whose bodies were found outside a Wisconsin quarry.

A La Crosse County jury found Nya Thao, 37, of Onalaska guilty Tuesday of three counts of intentional first-degree homicide and one count of felon in possession of a firearm, the La Crosse Tribune reported.

It was Thao’s second trial in the killings; his first ended in a hung jury last year. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Thao and Khamthaneth Rattanasack were both charged in the July 2021 slayings of Peng Lor and Nemo Yang, both 24, and Trevor Maloney, 23. Their bodies were found outside the entrance of 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 had been with the victims told police that 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 a party to a crime. He was sentenced to life in prison in January.

La Crosse County Sheriff John Siegel said Tuesday’s verdict “closes the door on a horrific crime not only perpetrated on 3 individuals, but our entire community.”

The Associated Press sent an email to Thao’s attorney on Thursday morning seeking comment on his client’s conviction.