A Sterling Heights man will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering his girlfriend of two months.
Martin Yost, 45, of Sterling Heights, who was convicted on a first degree murder charge in June, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Thursday for killing Dhoua Lao, 45, in 2023, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.
Authorities say Yost had been dating Lao for about two months when he beat her to death on November 13, 2023. Roseville Police found Yost passed out in the driver's seat of his vehicle with Lao dead in the passenger seat.
“Today’s sentence ensures that this defendant will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the brutal and senseless murder of a woman who deserved to live her life free from violence," Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido said in a statement. "The cruelty inflicted upon her was horrific, and no family should ever have to endure the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one in such a violent manner."
A message from the Prosecutor's office says if you are in a domestic violence situation, call 911 if it is an emergency, otherwise call the nearest police department. Other resources are available from the National Domestic Violence Hotline at thehotline.org or 800-799-7233 and Turning Point at 586-463-6990.
