Man headed to prison for murder

HOUGHTON — A Hubbell man is headed to prison for murder.

43-year-old Paul David Moilanen was sentenced for stabbing 48-year-old Marcy LaVigne to death and attacking her 14-year-old daughter in September 2014. Moilanen was sentenced to a minimum 37 and a half years to 60 years in prison for second degree murder and attempted murder.

Prosecuting Attorney Michael Makinen read a letter from Marcy LaVigne’s mother describing the brutality of the attacks and Paul LaVigne, the father of the teenager, also asked the court to set the highest minimum sentence allowed.

Moilanen attacked the 14-year-old girl while she was in her bed and stabbed her approximately 40 times. The mother was stabbed about 15 times.

Judge Charles Goodman of the Houghton County Circuit Court said he decided not to sentence Moilanen to life in prison because that means he would be eligible for parole in just 15 years.

Having already served prison time for a previous assault on a 92-year-old man in 2004, Judge Goodman said his goal in sentencing Moilanen was not to rehabilitate him for future release, but to keep him in prison as long as possible for the safety of the public.