Jury acquits La Crosse man in death of ex-girlfriend

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — A jury has acquitted a La Crosse man accused of killing his former girlfriend and disposing of her body in a lake.

The La Crosse Tribune reports jurors deliberated for about five hours Thursday before finding 39-year-old Erik Sackett not guilty in the death of 35-year-old Erin Somvilai. Her body was found in a Vernon County lake near Sackett’s family cabin in June 2018, nearly two weeks after her family reported her missing.

In closing arguments, La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke accused Sackett of wanting to get rid of a problem and throwing Somvilai away like garbage.

Defense attorney Chris Zachar countered that the prosecution failed to prove its case.

Police say Somvilai’s body had been weighted with concrete blocks. A fisherman discovered her body.

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