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COMP: JUN09/200908272 PAGE OF __ PAGES

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CHIPPEWA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
SUPPLEMENTARY INVESTIGATION REPORT

COMPLAINT #: 200908272

NATURE OF COMPLAINT: #2 DEATH/SUICIDE

DEPUTY: RICHARD P. PRICE #2597

DATE OF INITIAL COMPLAINT: COpy

/
SUBJECT: TRANSFER OF EVIDENCE

OTHER PERSONS MENTIONEDIINVOLVED:

DETECTIVE TODD JOHNSON

EAU CLAIRE POUCE DEPT
P.O. BOX 496
EAU CLAIRE, WI 54702
BUS PHONE: 715-839-6280
C/P; 715-271-1313

ON TUESDAY 06/30109 AT ABOUT 1103 HOURS I TRANSFERRED ITEM 1, A PIECE OF

ROPE, TO EAU CLAIRE DETECTIVE TODD JOHNSON. DETECTIVE JOHNSON INDICATED
AN INTEREST IN ACQUIRING DNA FROM MR THOMAS F. ERBS FOR AN INVESTIGATION
THAT THE EAU CLAIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTING.

NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN; END OF REPORT.

DATE: _
OFFICER:_----"~,...,....,,,..,~_=~----
RICHARD P. PRICE

SUPERVISOR: _ COPIES TO: _

KMJ 00/30/09 @ 1408 HOURS

 COMP: JUN09/200908272 PAGE OF __ PAGES

• MARY ANN SEEMED TO BE HYPERVENTILATING AND I TRIED TO COAX MARY ANN TO

COME OUTSIDE AS AN AMBULANCE WAS OUTSIDE AND WANTED HER TO BE EXAMINED.
MARY ANN REFUSED: HOWEVER, I WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE HER THAT SHE MIGHT FEEL
BETTER SITIING OlffSfDE AT THE PICNIC TABLE. I DID ESCORT MARY ANN TO THE
PICNIC TABLE LOCATED ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE RESIDENCE.

AS I WAS TRYING TO CONVINCE MARY ANN THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOQD IDEA
TO BE CHECKED OUT BY EMS WE DID DISCUSS YESTERDA Y, 06120/09, AND THE EVENTS OF
THE DAY AS SHE RECALLED THEM. MARY ANN STATED THAT ON SATURDA Y 06/20/09
THOMAS HAD TO GO TO WORK AT MENARDS AND HE OlD LEA VE FOR WORK ON HIS
MOTORCYCLE BUT THE MOTORCYCLE BROKE DOWN. MARY ANN SAID THAT JEFFftEY
HAD RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM mOMAS AND JEFFREY THEN BROUGHT THE
TRAILER TO THOMAS' LOCATION AND THEY LOADED THE MOTORCYCLE UP AND
BROUGHT IT BACK HOME. MARY Ai\TN STATED THAT AS FAR AS SHE KNOWS THEN'
THOMAS TOOK HIS CAR BACK TO WORK. -_.'--

MARY ANN SAID THAT SHE AND JEFFREY \\'E1\'T TO ONE OF THEIR GRANDSON'S GAMES
AND RETURNED HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 P.M. AND DID NOTE THAT THOMAS'
CAR WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE GARAGE AT THEIR RESIDENCE. MARY ANN DID
STATE THOUGH THAT SHE DIDN'T SEE THO~ IN THE HOUSE.

I ASKED MARY ANN IF THERE WAS ANYTHJ:,\G I COULD DO FOR HER AND MARY ANN
SAID SHE WOULD LIKE A GLASS OF WATER. I DID GO INTO THE RESIDENCE AND
RETRIEVED A GLASS OF WATER FOR MARY A~'N AND BROUGHT IT OUT TO HER.

SHORTL Y THEREAITER, JEFFREY ERBS CAME OVER TO THE PICNIC TABLE AND POI~'TED
TOWARD THE DFTACHED GARAGE IN THE :-:ORTHEAST SECTION OF THEIR PROPERTY .
'~ND ~EQUESrED ~A4'1AI~S2-ME OUT A~ SEE SOME OF MY HANDIWORK. I ASKED
.'t::FFR£~::t:HAT HE \\':\S IALKI:':G·ABuu l ,?\~.D'1EFFR£YSAIDCCJMEUN
~"___"-"'::"=>IiI~.'...
CJUTAND'St01?~ ..
_.,....-~j
_I
SON; HE'S'HANGING; THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED ALL ALONG, ISN'T IT? JEFFREY WENT
ON TO STATE THA T I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS SON HANGING HIMSELF AND PEOPLE
LIKE JUDGE SAZAMA, A TIORNEY DAVE RAIHLE, JR, AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE ALL
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AND SHOULD BE PROUD AS THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED ALL
ALONG.

I WALKED TOW ARD THE DETACHED GARAGE WHERE DEPUTY THORNTON WAS
STANDING BY THE OPEN GARAGE DOOR. I ASKED DEPUTY THORNTON IF HE HAD TAKEN
ANY PHOTOGRAPHS YET AND DEPlffY THORNTON SAID NO AT WHICH TIME I REQUESTED
THAT HE RETRIEVE A CAMERA. SHORTLY THEREAFTER REV ROBERT HOEKSTRA
ARRIVED AND IN HIS PRESENCE, JEFFREY ERBS ALSO CONDEMNED LA W ENFORCEMENT
FOR CAUSING THE DEATH OF HIS SON. HOEKSTRA ASKED IF THERE WAS MUCH MORE
THAT WE, (LA W ENFORCEMENT), NEEDED TO DO HERE Ai\"D I TOLD HOEKSTRA THAT WE
NEEDED TO TAKE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS AND THEN IT WOULD BE A MA ITER OF WAITING
FOR THE CORONER TO GET HERE TO ARRlVE TO REMOVE THOMAS. '

WHILE I WAS STANDING BY THE GARAGE DOOR, JEFFREY ONCE AGAIN COMMENTED
THAT BECAUSE I DID NOT RESPECf HIS SON WHEN HE WAS ALIVE, I HAD DAMN BETIER
RESPECf HIS SON NOW THAT HE'S DEAD AND HE'S GONNA STAY RIGHT HERE AND BE
WATCHING.

I ASKED JEFFREY WHA T FUNERAL HOME HE WISHED TO RESPOND AND JEFFREY STATED,
"I DON'T WANT ANY DAMN FUNERAL HOME TO RESPOND FOR MY SON. WHAT FUNERAL
HOME DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND FOR YOUR SON?" JUST AFTER MAKING THAT
COMMENT, HOWEVER, JEFFREY DID TELL ME HORAN FUNERAL HOME COULD COME.
 ... ,

COMP: JUN09/200908272 PAGE OF __ PAGES

. '. r
•
"SCENE DESCRIPTION"

THE DETACHED GARAGE IS A SINGLE·GARAGE 1l'PE STRUCTURE WITH A

CONVENTIONAL ROOF WITH A RAFfER DESIGN. THE ROPE WAS TIED OFF ON A RAFTER
AND THE OTHER END OF THE ROPE WAS TIED AROUND THOMAS' NECK AND THOMAS' .-
FEET WERE JUST BARELY TOUCHING A WOODEN BOX, NEXT TO THE BOX WAS A WHITE
PLASTIC 5 GALLON PAIL, WHICH APPEARED TO BE WHAT TOM MIGHT HA VE BEEN.-
STANDING ON TO TIE THE ROPE OFF AND TIlEN AFTER 1l'ING Born KNOTS· THE CiNE-
AROUND THE RAFTER AND THE ONE AROUND HIS NECK, KICKED THE BUCKET OUT FROM
UNDERNEATH HIMSELF. --_ -
CORONER KA Y GERRITS ARRIVED AT WHlOi TIME I TOLD HER ABOUT THE ATTITUDE OF
THE DECEASED'S FATHER, JEFFREY ERBS, A~-O THE COMMENT HE MADE ABOUT
RESPECTlNG HIS SON'S BODY. I ALSO INFORMED KAY THAT THE FATHER, JEFFREY'ERBS;
WAS REQL'ESTING HORAN FUNERAL HOME. CORONER GERRITS THEN IMMEDIAT£!-Y_
CONTACTED HORAN FUNERAL HOME TO RESPOND TO THIS RESIDENCE. AFTER CORONER
GERRITS LOOKED AT THE BODY OF THOMAS ERBS, SHE BELIEVED THAT THOMAS,
BECAUSE OF TIlE RIGOR MORTIS CONDITIO~ OF THE BODY, HAD PROBABLY BEEN
HANGJNG FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 Yl OR MORE HOURS,

JEFFREY ERaS ASKED CORONER GERRITS IF HE COULD ASSIST IN REMOVING HIS SO~
AND CORONER GERRITS DID GIVE HIM PERMISSION, I HAD JEFFREY ERBS COME ON THE
RIGHT SIDE OF THO!\1AS' BODY WHERE I WAS LOCATED AND HAD DEPU1l' THORNTON
STAND BEHIND mOMAS ERBS AND HAD EMS PERSONNEL ON THE LEf'T SIDE OF TIiOMAS
ERBS; I PROVlDED DEPUTY THORNTON wrm MY KNIFE AND DEPUTY THORNTON CUT
THE ROPE AND THOMAS ERBS WAS LOWERED INTO THE BODY BAG.

BECAUSE c{F IEFFR£Y.ERBS·APPA~N:r

;:';DGE S~MA,
EXTREME DISLIKE FO_RLAW ENFORCEMENT. -~
mnuS11t~~i\ir---
Ai"o'DDA \IE 1t:.\JHJ::£:'"j}~.··SlSEcIf1C"Al:::CY;-ANb -'
~ -~...;:;._
~:fI"iPe
j
-1
GENERiCALL v, AFTER MANAGEMENf REVIEWS THIS REPORT, ) WILL LEA VE IT TO TIIEIR .,
DISCRETION WHETHER OR NOT THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PEOPLE SHOULD RECEIVE A I
COURTESY CALL REGARDING JEFFREY ERBS' STATE OF MIND.

END OF SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT 2009-8272.

OFfICER: _ DATE: _
ROBERT C CUNNINGHAM

SUPERVISOR: _ COPIES TO: _

K!\tJ W2MJ9@ 1010 HOURS

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