Wausau man sentenced to life in prison for 2021 shooting death of his wife

WAUSAU − A 27-year-old man on Monday was sentenced to life in prison for the 2021 murder of his wife.

Umberto N. Lo, of Wausau, was found guilty Jan. 26 by a Marathon County jury of first-degree intentional homicide for the March 21, 2021, shooting death of his wife, Mai R. Vang, 30, of Wausau. On Monday, Marathon County Circuit Judge LaMont Jacobson ordered Lo to serve a life sentence for the homicide, without the possibility of release.

Jacobson also ordered Lo to serve three years in prison for each of five felony counts of bail jumping. Lo also must pay $5,000 restitution.

According to the criminal complaint, at 2:36 p.m. March 21, 2021, a caller reported a person had been shot in the 1300 block of North Ninth Avenue in Wausau. A woman reported she received pictures of her sister with a gunshot wound to her head.

When officers arrived, they heard a man in an apartment yelling and saying something about his kids, according to the complaint. Another man arrived and said he was the brother of the man inside the house, Lo. The brother said Lo had shot and killed Lo's wife.

The brother called Lo and got him to come out of the apartment, and then police arrested Lo. Officers then went into the apartment and found Vang with a gunshot wound to her head lying on her back in a bedroom. Two young children were unhurt but were in the room with Vang, according to the complaint.

A Wausau detective spoke to Lo's brother, who said he was married to Vang's sister. The brother said Lo called him shortly after 2:30 a.m. March 21, 2021, and was crying and yelling, according to the complaint. Lo said he shot Vang and asked his brother to come get their children. The brother said he did not believe Lo and thought the couple had just gotten into an argument, but Lo sent his brother a picture of Vang's body, according to the complaint.

More: Here's how road construction will impact your travel plans in Wausau and Marathon and Lincoln counties

The brother showed the picture to Vang's sister and she called police, according to the complaint.

While sitting in the back of an officer's squad car, Lo said, "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me," according to the complaint. The officer transporting him to the Wausau Police Department also heard him say, "She didn't deserve this" and "I'm sorry ... my beautiful angel."

More: Wausau math teacher pleads not guilty to possessing cocaine on school property, judge sets $2,500 bond

Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com . Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33 .

This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Wausau man sentenced to life in prison for 2021 shooting death of his wife