Attorney of man charged in La Crosse homicide says victim’s doctor to blame

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — There is a new accusation in the death of a La Crosse woman. According to court records, The defense attorney for Erik Sackett, 38, the man who was charged with killing his former girlfriend, Erin Somvilai, 35, said in a motion his attorney filed earlier this week that there is another person who is responsible.

It has been more than a year since Somvilai was found dead in Vernon County more than 25 miles from her La Crosse home.

Since then, her ex-boyfriend, Sackett, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide. According to the criminal complaint, evidence found at his home, cellphone records and a possible motive connect him to the crime.

This week, Sackett’s attorney filed a motion that points the finger at Somvilai’s physician. According to the court record, Somvilai was hired by the doctor to take care of his son. The public motion also states the doctor had a “paid sexual relationship” with Somvilai.

The motion says the doctor prescribed her several prescription drugs, including Adderall, which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Somvilai’s toxicology report showed her body had seven times the recommended dose of Adderall.

The motion states the alleged motive as “Ms. Somvilai had confided to multiple people about the source of her extra money and the acts she performed in order to earn it, and also stated her plan to extort (her doctor) for additional money in exchange for her silence.”

The doctor was originally one of three suspects in the case, but investigations into him stopped when Somvilai’s body was found. No charges have been filed against the doctor in this case.

News 8 is not naming the doctor because no formal charges have been filed against him.

The motion is scheduled to be heard in early September. If Sackett is convicted, he would face life in prison.

Get your weather forecast from people that actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.

COPYRIGHT 2023 BY NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.