Rattanasack takes the stand at co-defendant Thao’s trial for West Salem quarry murders

Which of two men was more responsible for a triple murder near West Salem in 2021?

Was it Nya Thao, who’s on trial this week for the shootings at a rural quarry? Or was it Kham Rattanasack, who testified against Thao on Thursday?

Kham denies claims that he gave his own gun to Thao, and told him to shoot three men…Peng Lor, Nemo Yang, and Trevor Maloney. La Crosse district attorney Tim Gruenke questioned Kham about that gun.

“How did Mr. Thao get your gun?” asked Gruenke. “I don’t know, I don’t recall” said Rattanasack. “Like I said, I set it down and I just…I don’t remember, I don’t know what happened.”

Kham says he doesn’t remember much of what happened the day of the murders, claiming he was high, and paranoid, and wanted to get out of the La Crosse area.

Rattanasack testified on Thursday under an immunity agreement with prosecutors, claiming that it was Thao who killed the three victims early one morning in July of 2021. Police believe Kham was angry at one of the three for reportedly taking $600 from him. Rattanasack says at the time, he didn’t know that those men had been shot. He and Thao drove away from the scene, and Kham claims he didn’t ask Thao what had just happened, but he does remember seeing Thao toss a gun out the car window.

Thao’s defense attorney Aaron Nelson questioned Rattanasack about his own criminal past, and cast doubt on Rattanasack’s claims that he’s telling the truth about the murders. Thao’s trial began on Monday, and is expected to continue into next week.