A jury has convicted a 30-year-old man of murder for a shooting in downtown Appleton. Chong Lee was on trial for the December 2013 death of 25-year-old Joshua Richards of Green Bay. Richards was involved in an argument, in an entry area of the former Luna Lounge, when he was shot.
The victim’s mother, Jackie Pische, says it’s a relief that the justice system works. She says the jury came back with the correct verdict.
The guilty verdict for first-degree intentional homicide carries an automatic life sentence for Lee. He’ll be in prison for at least 30 years, before he could even be eligible for parole, and a judge will set that date later.
Lee’s attorneys argued that police targeted the wrong man, and witnesses in the trial went along with it. Outagamie County District Attorney Carrie Schneider says the verdict vindicates the hard work of detectives.
After hearing testimony for nine days, jurors came back with the verdict in about four hours.
WHBY