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11.29.2007

cha vang's killer sentenced to 69 years

In Wisconsin, James Nichols, the white hunter convicted of killing a Hmong man while both were out hunting in the woods, was sentenced to the maximum 69 years in prison by a judge who rejected his claims of self-defense: Wisconsin hunter gets 69 years in slaying.

Prosecutors said Nichols' true motive in killing Cha Vang was prejudice. He was recorded in police interviews as saying that Hmong people are bad, mean and "kill everything and that they go for anything that moves."

Vang, a 30-year-old father of five, was found dead earlier this year in a wildlife refuge where Nichols had also been hunting. The two apparently got into an altercation, in which Nichols shot Cha Vang, stabbed him five times in the neck, then attempted to hide the body.

The death rekindled racial tensions in northwest Wisconsin, where many recalled Hmong hunter Chai Soua Vang (no relation), who fatally shot six white hunters during a confrontation three years ago. More here: Hunter gets 69 years in killing