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Thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.

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The Minnesota man accused of fatally stabbing one and injuring four at the Apple River in July entered not guilty pleas in all five charges in an arraignment hearing Sept. 8. 

Nicolae Miu was charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide and four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Seventeen-year-old Isaac Schuman of Stillwater died, while the four injured were a 24-year-old woman from Burnsville, a 22-year-old man from Elk River and a 20-year-old man and 22-year-old man from Luck. 

Miu has been in jail since the July 30 incident and is currently on a $1 million dollar cash bond. 

The next court appearance is a status conference set for 1:30 p.m., Nov. 1. 

According to the St. Croix County Sheriff’s office, they received a call at 3:47 p.m., July 30 with the report several people had been stabbed on the Apple River, while recreational tubing, just upstream from the State Highway 35/64 bridge in the town of Somerset. 

Upon deputies’ arrival, five people were found with stab wounds to their midsections. Medical care was provided to the victims by law enforcement, citizens, and emergency service responders. 

All five victims were transported from the scene to local hospitals. Two of the victims were flown to Regions Hospital in St. Paul and two were taken by ambulance to Regions Hospital

The Burnsville woman was identified as Rhyley Mattison.

“Some friends and I were tubing when we came across a group who were asking for our help,” she said, as she was launching a Go Fund Me account. “My friends and I went over to see what was going on and there was an older man there being inappropriate and was asked to leave but wouldn’t. The older man ended up having a knife and stabbed a few friends of mine and myself included.

“I’m starting this go fund me because I currently lost my job and I have no way of paying for these medical bills and I’m struggling making ends meet right now.” 

The suspect, later identified as Miu, left the scene and was presumed to still be armed with a knife. Miu was located at the exit point for tubers on the Apple River, which was located at the Village Park in Somerset. Several witnesses had alerted law enforcement to his location, and he was taken into custody without incident. 

According to the criminal complaint, video footage shows Miu stabbing multiple victims while he was also being pushed and slapped during a confrontation. However, the complaint states no one assaulted Miu until he punched a woman in the face. 

The complaint says Miu is seen swimming to a group of people, who tell him to “go away.” Miu turned to walk away twice, but he twice turned around and a confrontation ensued. The camera then allegedly pans away from the crowd and commotion erupts before the camera refocuses on the incident. 

Miu’s wife told investigators he left their group because someone lost their phone in the river. Miu told investigators that he feared for his life, with partial video allegedly showing someone in yellow swim trunks shove Miu into the water. As the same person shoved him again, Miu stabbed him in the abdomen.  The video then shows a woman with an open stab wound on her left side, and as the camera pans it shows Miu stabbing another person who touched his back. 

He said he was being called a “child molester”. 

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