Lussier gets 15 years in prison for role in Valliere murder

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Hurley - It was an emotional day in Iron County Court Wednesday as James Lussier was sentenced to prison for his role in the murder of Wayne Valliere Jr.

Judge Patrick Madden followed the prosecutor's recommendation and sentenced Lussier to 15 years in prison and another 15 years of extended supervision, along with another eight years of probation to be served after the first sentence.

"Young man, everyone here wishes you weren't there (at the murder scene) - but you were. That was a choice you made and it was a very bad choice," Madden said, after imposing his sentence. "I hope you make better choices in your life and I wish you well."

Lussier, 20, of Woodruff, pleaded guilty to being a party to conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of aiding a felon in August for participating in the beating and shooting death of Valliere Jr., whose body was found near Mercer on New Year's Day 2018.

Lussier was one of five men who took Valliere for a drug-fueled drive and shot him on Dec. 22, 2017, depositing the body off a seldom-used road north of Mercer.

James' brother, Joseph Lussier, and Richard Allen were given life sentences in August after being convicted by an Iron County jury as the shooters in the homicide.

During Wednesday's hearing, several of Valliere's relatives talked about the impact the crime has had on their family and the community.

Valliere's mother, Jeanette Sharlow, talked about going to the murder scene with authorities.

"I took that ride and that was the longest ride of my life. It was Wayne's last ride," she said.

While James Lussier may not have been the one to pull the trigger, Sharlow said he did nothing to prevent the murder or help her son prior to his death.

"You're just as guilty as your brother in my eyes and you're just as guilty as (the other defendants)," she said. "You're just as guilty, you didn't do one thing to help my child."

Wayne Valliere Sr. told the court how difficult the last year has been without his son in his life.

"I dream about him all the time - all the time. I wake up and he's not there, the realization comes to me that he's gone," he said.

Madden said Lussier's defense that he played a relatively minor role in the crime and there was nothing to be done to stop it from happening "was too little too late."

"I think (Lussier) engages in selective perception, because he chose monsters as his gang. He knew who these guys were," Madden said. "It is not credible to think that someone is going to be in a van full of guys on drugs, who are clearly crazy, going into the middle of the woods and not have some suspicion this isn't for an evil purpose. That's disingenuous."

Madden sentenced Lussier to the 15 years in prison and 15 years extended supervision for the conspiracy charge. He withheld a sentence and ordered eight years probation on each of the two aiding-a-felon charges. While the probation will begin once the original sentence is finished, state law requires both probations be served concurrently.

Noting Lussier was 19 when he was arrested on the charges, Assistant Wisconsin Attorney General Richard DuFour argued the length of the recommended sentence will allow the state to determine whether Lussier was able to change as he promised.

"If the court sentenced (him to the prosecution's recommendation) he would have 15 years of confinement, which would take him to when he's about 34. Adding 15 years to that for extended supervision, that takes him to 49. And then eight years for the probation takes him to 57," DuFour said. "That way we will know if he truly dealt with his problems while he was in prison, if he truly dealt with his issues while he was in prison.

"And if he didn't, and if he doesn't, he will be looking at a long additional time in prison."

Several of Lussier's friends and family also testified Wednesday, telling the court Lussier was powerless to stop his brother and Allen from committing the murder and attempting to may have led to his death as well.

"That would have been like trying to stop a freight train. Those two boys together, you never would have stopped them," Lussier's mother, Christine Tierney, said through tears. "For all I know they would have killed him, and I can honestly say that about my son (Joseph)."

She said prison would destroy James, much like a prior sentence had changed Joseph.

"When you treat someone like an animal, they come out like an animal. Prison is not going to help James. Why can't you just help him? Don't turn him into Joey," she pleaded. "Don't create a monster, because that's what happened to my son. That's what happened to Joey. When he went to prison when he was 17, he was never the same again, ever."

Lussier's attorney, Marty Lipske, argued Lussier played a largely passive role in the murder and wasn't the same threat to society as the two shooters.

"It is like night and day. James is a 19 year old kid, just getting through high school, hoping to graduate. (He's) got a drug problem, no doubt about that. But he's not the animals, frankly, that Richard and Joseph are," Lipske said.

He asked Lussier be given a chance to reform himself and solve his problems before being subjected to prison, suggesting some form of suspended sentence with a lengthy probation period.

Lussier also addressed the court and Valliere's family, apologizing for his actions and wishing he could have done something differently.

He will receive credit 345 days credit for the time he has already served in jail.