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,CHIPPEWA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTSUPPLEMENTARY INVESTIGATION REPORT

COMPLAINT #: 200908272

NATURE OF COMPLAINT: #2 DEATH/SUICIDE

DEPUTY: RICHARD P. PRICE #2597

DATE OF INITIAL COMPLAINT: COpySUBJECT:

/TRANSFER OF EVIDENCE

OTHER PERSONS MENTIONEDIINVOLVED:

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

ON TUESDAY 06/30109 AT ABOUT 1103 HOURS I TRANSFERRED ITEM 1, A PIECE OFROPE, TO EAU CLAIRE DETECTIVE TODD JOHNSON. DETECTIVE JOHNSON INDICATEDAN INTEREST IN ACQUIRING DNA FROM MR THOMAS F. ERBS FOR AN INVESTIGATIONTHAT THE EAU CLAIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTING.

NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN; END OF REPORT.

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

DATE: _

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 TOCOME 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 FEELBETTER SITIING OlffSfDE AT THE PICNIC TABLE. I DID ESCORT MARY ANN TO THEPICNIC TABLE LOCATED ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE RESIDENCE.

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

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MARY ANN SAID THAT SHE AND JEFFREY \\'E1\'T TO ONE OF THEIR GRANDSON'S GAMESAND 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 DIDSTATE THOUGH THAT SHE DIDN'T SEETHO~ IN THE HOUSE.

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

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

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

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

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 FUNERALHOME DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND FOR YOUR SON?" JUST AFTER MAKING THATCOMMENT, HOWEVER, JEFFREY DID TELL ME HORAN FUNERAL HOME COULD COME.

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"SCENE DESCRIPTION"

THE DETACHED GARAGE IS A SINGLE·GARAGE 1l'PE STRUCTURE WITH ACONVENTIONAL ROOF WITH A RAFfER DESIGN. THE ROPE WAS TIED OFF ON A RAFTERAND 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 WHITEPLASTIC 5 GALLON PAIL, WHICH APPEARED TO BE WHAT TOM MIGHT HAVE 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 FROMUNDERNEATH HIMSELF. ---_CORONER KAY GERRITS ARRIVED AT WHlOi TIME I TOLD HER ABOUT THE ATTITUDE OFTHE DECEASED'S FATHER, JEFFREY ERBS, A~-O THE COMMENT HE MADE ABOUTRESPECTlNG 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 CORONERGERRITS LOOKED AT THE BODY OF THOMAS ERBS, SHE BELIEVED THAT THOMAS,BECAUSE OF TIlE RIGOR MORTIS CONDITIO~ OF THE BODY, HAD PROBABLY BEENHANGJNG 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 THERIGHT SIDE OF THO!\1AS' BODY WHERE IWAS LOCATED AND HAD DEPU1l' THORNTONSTAND BEHIND mOMAS ERBS AND HAD EMS PERSONNEL ON THE LEf'T SIDE OF TIiOMASERBS; I PROVlDED DEPUTY THORNTON wrm MY KNIFE AND DEPUTY THORNTON CUTTHE ROPE AND THOMAS ERBS WAS LOWERED INTO THE BODY BAG.

BECAUSE c{F IEFFR£Y.ERBS·APPA~N:r EXTREME DISLIKE FO_RLAW ENFORCEMENT. -~ ~ -~...;:;._ j;:';DGE S~MA, Ai"o'DDA\IE 1t:.\JHJ::£:'"j}~.··SlSEcIf1C"Al:::CY;-ANbmnuS11t~~i\ir--- -' ~:fI"iPe -1GENERiCALL v, AFTER MANAGEMENf REVIEWS THIS REPORT, ) WILL LEA VE IT TO TIIEIR .,DISCRETION WHETHER OR NOT THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PEOPLE SHOULD RECEIVE A ICOURTESY CALL REGARDING JEFFREY ERBS' STATE OF MIND.

END OF SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT 2009-8272.

OFfICER: _ROBERT C CUNNINGHAM

DATE: _

SUPERVISOR: _ COPIES TO: _

K!\tJ W2MJ9@ 1010HOURS

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