In the early hours of July 23, 2021, the bodies of 24-year-old Asian male Nemo Yang and two other men, Peng Lor, 24, and Trevor Maloney, 23, were discovered by two workers at the entrance of Milestone Quarry near West Salem, Wisconsin. The La Crosse County Sheriff's Office immediately launched a triple homicide investigation, describing the killings as a "targeted act."
Investigators believed the victims were killed late on Thursday night or early Friday morning and that they were acquainted with their attacker or attackers. There appeared to be no connection between the victims and the quarry itself.
The investigation led to the arrests of two suspects, Nya Thao and Khamthaneth Rattanasack. Authorities determined the motive stemmed from a belief held by Rattanasack that one of the victims had stolen $600 from him. According to a witness, Rattanasack ordered the three victims to get on their knees. He then allegedly gave the gun to Thao, who proceeded to shoot them multiple times. Both men were charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide.
Khamthaneth Rattanasack later pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime and was sentenced to life in prison in January. Nya Thao's path to justice was more prolonged, as his first trial ended with a hung jury. However, a second trial concluded with a guilty verdict on three counts of intentional first-degree homicide and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction of Thao was seen by the La Crosse County Sheriff as closing the door on a horrific crime that impacted the entire community.
