By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
Fired former Sacramento sheriff's deputy Chu Vue was sentenced today to a life term in prison with no chance of parole for the love triangle shooting death two years ago of state correctional officer Steve Lo.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Steve White also added three years to Vue's term for harboring the two brothers that his jury found carried out the Oct. 15, 2008, murder in the garage of Lo's south Sacramento home.
White called the case, in which Vue was convicted of planning the murder because the 39-year-old Lo was having an affair with the former deputy's wife, as "an enormous tragedy."
"It's a tragedy bracketed by betrayals," White said, "the betrayal of Mr. Vue by his wife, and a betrayal by Mr. Vue of his children, of his family, his clan and the Hmong people.
"The Hmong people looked up to you, Mr. Vue, as a leader in the Hmong community, as a deputy sheriff in the Sacramento sheriff's department."
Vue's brothers, Gary Vue and Chong Vue, are scheduled for trial next year.
The victim's older son and daughter as well as his wife and his former wife, extolled the slain correctional officer as a beloved, if imperfect, father and husband, one whose passing left them all grief-stricken.
"My high school graduation is coming up in June 2001," 17-year-old Andy Lo said. "I don't even look forward to it, because I know it will be a sad day. Who is going to cheer for me the moment I receive my diploma?"
Vue, 45, proclaimed his innocence in a brief statement to the court. His case already is on appeal.
"Hopefully, when my brothers' trial comes , that will clean it up," Vue said, before he was sentenced and led out of the courtroom in chains.
Photo Captions: (top)Fired former Sacramento sheriff's deputy Chu Vu listens to personal statements from family members of state correctional officer Steve Lo before Vu was sentenced in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday for the killing of Lo. (bottom) Sia Vang, wife of state correctional officer Steve Lo, reads a statement about her husband in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday. Fired former Sacramento sheriff's deputy Chu Vu was sentenced to a life term in prison with no chance of parole for the killing of Lo. Photos by Randy Pench
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
KCRA: Vue says he'll await appeal
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