Apple River stabbing: Sheriff worries about lasting impact on his community

HUDSON, Wis. (FOX 9) - While last week’s sentencing of Nicolae Miu closed the chapter on a two-year legal odyssey, the pain and trauma of the Apple River stabbing continues to ripple far beyond western Wisconsin.

Many involved that day traveled to St. Croix County to enjoy a summer tubing outing. But for others, including local Sheriff Scott Knudson, the Apple River is home. And he is worried about the lasting impact of what happened on July 30, 2022.

"That does not just disappear," Knudson told FOX 9. "That stigma just does not go away."

The river runs through the heart of the county, flowing through the communities of Somerset, Amery and Star Prairie. It is a meandering, picturesque waterway that has drawn scores of campers and tubers to a pocket of Wisconsin, just over the Minnesota border, through the years.

"It is a big part of my history and growing up," explained Knudson. "It did happen, in essence, in my backyard."

Two years later, and the sheriff worries about the lasting impact the deadly, mass stabbing incident will have on an area that was already dealing with a decline in river traffic and campers.

An area long known for summer leisure is now also associated with the cell phone video of the incident and a high-profile trial that resulted in a conviction and a 20-year prison sentence for Miu.

"Yeah, I think people regret that it happened," said Knudson, who is from the Somerset area. 

He worked at the campgrounds along the river through high school and college.

Knudson says he never imagined one day racing to a scene of horrors and playing a central role in a deadly incident that would come to define the Apple River for the rest of the world.

On that hot summer day, Knudson came face-to-face with Miu after a 40-plus minute search for the suspect. When Knudson checked in on Miu in the back of a squad car, Miu appeared to pretend he did not know what had happened.

On Knudson’s body-worn camera, Miu told him, "I heard someone got stabbed, and I fit the description." Miu added that he "heard" about the fight on the river and saw "people gather around it."

Prosecutors eventually built Miu’s misleading statements and lies into their narrative, convicting the Prior Lake man on a charge of first-degree reckless homicide for the death of Isaac Schuman as well as several other lesser counts for those victims Miu injured.

On July 31, 2024, St. Croix County Circuit Court Judge Michael Waterman sentenced Miu to 20 years in prison with two years of credit for the time he has served since his arrest the night of the stabbings.

"There is no way to get past the tragedy and the trauma that a number of families felt that day. But there is also a ripple effect to the community of some shade being thrown at the good, hard-working Somerset name," Knudson said.

How to watch the upcoming documentary

FOX 9 has spent two years reporting on and documenting this case. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m., FOX 9 will air a true-crime documentary that will provide viewers with a behind the scenes look at the investigation and trial that garnered national attention and sparked debate about the limits of self-defense. 

"The Apple River Stabbing: Convicting Nicolae Miu" includes new interviews with prosecutors, defense attorneys and the reporters who covered the trial from gavel-to-gavel. 

Watch the documentary at 8 p.m. on FOX 9, and stream it on FOX LOCAL, and on FOX9.com. 

After it airs, you can watch it on FOX LOCAL, FOX9.com, and FOX 9's YouTube channel.