Vance: Onalaska Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Father’s Murder

The 25-year-old Onalaska man who pleaded guilty to his father’s murder earlier this month will serve 30 years in prison; meaning he will be released by age 55, three years younger than his father was at the time of his death.

On March 7, Joshua Vance stabbed Terry Vance, 58, at least 11 times in their Onalaska home on Pennel Avenue. Vance admitted to police that he had also intended to kill the three other family members home at the time, including his 11-year-old nephew, his 79-year-old grandmother, as well as his uncle.

The only reason he was unable to follow through with his intentions was because he cut his hand so severely that he called 911 for medical help, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Vance pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and third-degree assault earlier this month as a result of a plea agreement.

When Joshua was escorted by corrections officers into court for his sentencing hearing Wednesday morning, he did not look over at his family sitting in the third row of the courtroom. Nor did he look at them when family members sat at the prosecutor’s table to read their written victims’ statements to the court. 

Throughout his sentencing, Vance stared straight ahead, never once glancing over at his uncles or grandmother seated 20 feet away from him. When asked by the judge if he wanted to address the court, Vance responded with, “I have nothing to say.” 

Throughout Vance’s court hearing, Vance’s uncles Larry and Kerry, as well as his grandmother Bonnie, sat in the third row of the courtroom, crying. 

The family’s nightmare is not over, Larry told the court in his victim’s statement, and it is made worse by the fact that Vance has shown no remorse or responsibility for his actions.

“‘The devil made me do it’ doesn’t cut the mustard,” Larry said, later adding, “What transpired on March 7 was disgusting.”

The youngest member of the household who Vance told police he had intended to kill was Thomas Flood, his 11-year-old nephew.

Every night following the murder, Larry told the court, Thomas checks to make sure all the windows and doors are locked, and the shades are drawn in the house before going to bed.

“I don’t know what is a more cowardly act then stabbing your father in the back,” Larry said.

Vance, who suffered from mental illness prior to the knife attack, stopped taking his medication due to issues with insurance, his defense attorney David Arcuri told the court Wednesday. Vance did not choose to stop taking his medication.

“He was moving toward some sort of eruption, but no one in his family could have imaged this tragedy,” Arcuri said.

While Vance suffered from some sort of psychosis disorder, it was not the reason he committed the murder, said Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher. Vance explained, in a straightforward manner, to the doctor, as well as the detective, why he killed his father.

Meagher told the court Wednesday that Vance reportedly said, “He was never a father to me,” to the doctor, later adding that stabbing him “made me feel much better.”

“Mr. Vance knew exactly what he was doing, and why he was doing it,” Meagher said.

While he suffered from mental illness, it was not severe enough to mitigate his actions on March 7, Meagher said.

After Wednesday’s court appearance, Vance’s uncle, Larry, told The Chronicle that the family is still trying to come to terms with the tragedy. He also said the sentencing hearing, in addition to March 7, are some of the worst days of the family’s life.

Even as they hope to continue to move past the tragedy, they don’t believe Vance should ever be let out of prison, he said.

“It’s just a waste, that kid just had so much talent he could have given to society,” Larry said. “I pray for his soul, I really do.”