Thao returns to court in triple-murder case, as one defense lawyer withdraws

The suspect awaiting his second trial for a triple homicide at West Salem may need a new lawyer.

On Tuesday, attorney Corey Mehlos withdrew from the Nya Thao case, after serving on Thao’s defense team during a trial last June. The jury at the trial could not agree on a verdict, and Thao is scheduled to be tried again this summer.

Thao was one of the two suspects charged with the murders of three men at a quarry in July of 2021, over a $600 debt. The other suspect, Kham Rattanasack, pled guilty to a murder charge and was sentenced in January to life in prison.

The Tuesday hearing dealt with allegations of witness bias, made by the defense, and with questions to be asked of potential jury members. Thao is expected back in court in May, with the trial set for two weeks in August.