Hmong American News Radio

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A former Sacramento County sheriff's deputy has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of his wife's lover. A jury found that Chu Vue played a role in the slaying of Steven Lo, who was killed in his south Sacramento garage in 2008.

Members of Chu Vue's family cried as the verdict was read, but Chu Vue showed no reaction.

Chu Vue was also found guilty of wrongfully obtaining data. Prosecutors said he used law enforcement computers while planning the crime.

Co-defendant Lang Vue, a relative of Chu Vue, was found not guilty of murder. However, he was convicted of being an accessory to a felony.

Lang Vue was released from the Sacramento County Main Jail Wednesday afternoon.

Defense attorneys claimed that Chu Vue's brothers, Gary Vue and Chong Vue, acted alone in the killing.

Chu Vue said during the trial that if he had wanted to kill Lo, he would have killed him himself.

In addition, prosecutors released letters that Chu Vue wrote to his wife, Chia Vue, while in jail. However, the defense countered that the real meaning of the letters is lost in translation.

Chu Vue said any connection between letters he wrote from jail and Lo's slaying is purely coincidental.

Jurors said circumstantial evidence was enough to convict Chu Vue in the case.

"Everyone actually felt that Chu Vue was going to be not guilty," juror Steven Lee said. "When we actually pieced the puzzle with all the data, it was … so much circumstantial evidence that when we put it together, we saw too much coincidental stuff happening in the situation. And that's what made us change our minds."

The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said in a statement that "justice was served."

Gary Vue and Chong Vue are set to be tried in February.