Wolfe describes scene at Mercer area murder

By RALPH ANSAMI

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Hurley - One of the five men charged with murdering a Lac du Flambeau, Wis., man near Mercer just before Christmas described Wednesday how the victim was executed.

Curtis Wolfe, 26, testified in the trial against Joseph Lussier, 26, and Richard F.A. Allen, 27. All three are tribal members from Lac du Flambeau.

Wolfe said Wayne Valliere Jr. was beaten and shot to death on a desolate road on Dec. 22.

Valliere was reported missing when he didn't show up for Christmas brunch with his family. The body was found on New Year's Day.

Wolfe said Allen reached into the back of the van and turned around and shot Valliere, with blood coming from the cheek.

After that, Wolfe said he heard more gunshots while he was in the van. He admitted to helping move the victim's body off the road, where it was found covered in snow behind a berm.

Wolfe said he was told by Allen to get rid of the murder weapon, a 9-millimeter handgun, which was eventually hidden in a red bandana near a heating duct at Wolfe's sister's house in Lac du Flambeau.

Asked if he had discussed details of his story with Clint Eades Jr. and Emanuel Reyes, who testified to similar second-hand accounts of the killing, Wolfe said he had not.

Eades Jr. testified earlier in the trial that on Dec. 23 or Dec. 24, Allen said he shot Valliere in the cheek and then "Joey emptied a clip into him."

Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Stier testified Tuesday cause of death was listed as homicide from "multiple firearm injuries," with six shots to the back, two to the neck and one to the head.

Under questioning from defense attorneys James Lex and Craig Haukaas, Wolfe said he had been convicted of crimes 17 times. The defense attorneys said he had been questioned by law enforcement officers several times, at first denying involvement in the murder and then changing his versions of the story.

Wolfe said he was "high," but knew what was going on the day of the murder.

Lex asked if Valliere was shot from the back of the head, but Wolfe said he saw the shot into the cheek from the side.

Haukaas asked if Wolfe remembered telling investigators he helped beat up Valliere. Haukaas asked what benefits Wolfe thought he'd receive from testifying.

"I don't think it's going to accomplish anything," Wolfe said. He said he was testifying for Valliere's family and didn't tell the truth before because he was "scared."

Wolfe said he remembered telling investigators he thought the five men were "going up to Bad River for a drug run."

Also charged with being a party to murder and hiding a corpse are Evan T. Oungst, 27, of Arbor Vitae, and James Lussier, 19, of Woodruff. James Lussier has entered into a plea deal in his case and is expected to testify today against Allen and his brother.

Wolfe admitted to having a dispute with Valliere two weeks prior to the murder.

One witness was asked Wednesday by assistant Attorney General Richard Dufour whether she recalled Allen calling the gun "Baby," but she said that's only what she had heard.

There was additional testimony about the red van involved in the killing being spotted around 8 a.m. on Dec. 22.

Wayne Valliere Sr. was recalled to the stand by Dufour to testify he was never aware of a bullet being lodged in his son's arm prior to the murder. There was expert testimony Tuesday about the autopsy indicating a mysterious bullet in the arm was likely from a previous wound because there was no blood around it.

Wednesday morning testimony came from firearms, DNA and fingerprint experts.

Troy Chadwick of the state crime lab described firearms tests he had conducted on the alleged murder weapon, a 9-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol with a missing rear sight.

Including one bullet in the chamber, the pistol can be fired 12 times, Chadwick testified.

Bullets recovered at the crime scene, bullet fragments and expended casings were consistent with test firings of the gun, he said.

Fingerprints and DNA samples on the pistol and from the red van were examined.

The victim's fingerprints were identified in the van.

An expert testified that Allen and Wolfe couldn't be excluded from DNA found on the weapon.

There was testimony late on Wednesday that the ninth shell casing connected to the murder was found on May 24, not far from where the body was located, just off Swamp Creek Road.

A total of 38 witnesses had testified when Iron County Judge Patrick Madden called a recess for the day at 4 p.m.