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CHIPPEWA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
INVESTIGATION REPORT
COMPLAINT #: 200908272
NATURE OF COMPLAINT: #2 DEATH/SUICIDE
TOWNSHIP: copyAFAYETTE
DEPUTY: THOMAS L. THORNTON #2248
COMPLAINANT: JEFFREY P. ERBS MfW DOB 01/12/56
19080 71ST
AVENUE
CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI 54729
715-720-8054
DATE & TIME RECEIVED: 06/21/09@0207 HOURS, SUNDAY
DATE s TIME OF OFFENSE: 06/20/09 TIME UNKNOWN SATURDAY
_LOCATION OF OFFENSE:.";=.-.---...,,.~ _"
... " "DATE s TIME ARRIVED: 06121/09 @ 0222 HOURS, SUNDAY
DECEASED:
THOMAS F. ERBS MfW OOB 10/01/89
19080 715T
AVENUE
CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI 54729
ARRESTED/SUSPECTED:
CHARGE:
VICTIM:
OTHER PERSONS INVOLVEDIMENTIONED:
SGT. ROBERT CUNNINGHAM, CHSO
KAY GERRITS - CHIPPEWA COUNTY CORONER ~ .
.-DETAILS OF INVESTIGATION:
ON SUNDAY 06/21/09 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:0i' A.M. DISPATCH REPORTED RECEIVING A
CALL FROM JEFFREY ERBS AT 19080 71s T AVENUE. DISPATCH ADVISED MR. ERBS
CALLED AND REPORTED THAT HIS SON THOMAS HAD HUNG HIMSELF IN A STORAGE
GARAGE ON THE ERBS' PROPERTY. DISPATCH STATED THAT JEFFREY ERBS WAS
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VERY UNCOOPERATIVE AND WAS MAKING COMMENTS BERATING LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND BLAMING THE DEATH ON LAW ENFORCEMENT. I RESPONDED TO THE ERBS'
RESIDENCE ARRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 2:22 A.M. WITH SGT. CUNNINGHAM OF THIS
DEPARTMENT.
AT THIS TIME I APPROACHED A MALE SUBJECT IN THE YARD. HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF
AS JEFFREY ERBS. HE IMMEDIATELY BECAME UNCOOPERATIVE WITH THIS OFFICER.
HE BEGAN IMMEDIATELY TO BERATE LAW ENFORCEMENT SAYING THAT "ALL COPSWERE BAD, IF ONE COP IS BAD THEY ARE ALL BAD: THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN
CHIPPEWA COUNTY SPECIFICAllY JUDGE THOMAS SAZAMA, DAVID RAIHLE, JR. AlOCAl ATIORNEY, AS WELL AS THE JUVENilE COURT SYSTEM. HE THEN TOOK ME TO
A STORAGE GARAGE ON THE BACK OF THE ERBS' PROPERTY AND AS WE
APPROACHED I OBSERVED THAT THE OVERHEAD DOOR WAS OPEN AND INSIDE THE
GARAGE WAS THE BODY OF A MALE SUBJECT HANGING FROM ONE OF THE GARAGE'S
RAFTERS. AS WE APPROACHED JEFFREY ERBS IDENTIFIED THE BODY AS THAT OF HIS
SON THOMAS. HE WAS ARGUMENTATIVE IN ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS .
CONCERNING THIS INCIDENT. I DID GET FROM HIM THAT HE HAD NOT FOUND ANY
NOTES RELATIVE TO THIS DEATH. I ASKED HIM WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE. HE STATED,
-wHY DON'T' YOU ASK HIM, HE'S HANGING THERE. YOU'VE BEEN AFTER HIM ALL THE
nME, MAYBE HE'lL TELL YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION: AT THIS TIME I STOOD BY
UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF THE CORONER. I CONTINUED TO RECEIVE LENGTHY TIRADESFROM JEFFREY ERBS ABOUT HOW UNFAIR LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN TOWARD
HIS SON AND HOW IT SEEMS THAT IT IS LAW ENFORCEMENTS FAULT THAT THIS
SUICIDE TOOK PLACE. UPON THE ARRIVAl OF CORONER KAY GERRITS I LISTENED AS
JEFFREY ERBS EXPLAINED TO HER WHAT HAD HAPPENED OR THE EVENTS LEADING
UP TO WHAT HE HAD FOUND.
I USTENEQ AS JEFFREY ERBS TQLD !:$~GE~~IT.S.rHAT SATURDAY ..MORt-IING ~- _......,__..- ...;;•_
APPRO'XIMATEl Y 7:00 A.M. THOMAS ERBS HAD LEFT FOR WORK. WHILE HE WAS EN
ROUTE TO WORK HIS MOTORCYCLE BROKE DOWN. HE CALLED BACK TO HIS
PARENTS'. THEY PUT A TRAILER ON A VEHICLE AND DROVE OUT TO WHERE THE
MOTORCYCLE HAD BROKEN DOWN. THEY PUT THE MOTORCYCLE IN THE TRAILER.
THEY RETURNED TO THE HOUSE AND THOMAS THEN LEFT AGAIN TO GO TO WORK IN
HIS CAR. HE WAS UPSET THAT THE MOTORCYCLE HAD BROKEN DOWN AT THE TIME.JEFFREY ERBS TOLD CORONER GERRITS THAT THEY THEN LEFT FOR THE DAY AND
THAT THEY RETURNED HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 P.M. AND UPON ENTERING
THE RESIDENCE HE AND HIS WIFE COULD NOT LOCATE THOMAS ERBS IN THE
RESIDENCE. JEFFREY ERBS TOLD CORONER GERRITS WHO WAS NOT SURPRISED BY
THAT AS THOMAS SOMETIMES WENT OUT WITH FRIENDS OR WENT FOR WALKS. ETC.
JEFFREY ERBS STATED THAT WHEN THOMAS DID NOT RETURN HOME HE DECIDED TO
GO OUT TO THE STORAGE GARAGE TO SEE IF HE MIGHT BE OUT THERE WORKING.
AND WHEN HE OPENED THE OVERHEAD DOOR AND STEPPED IN AND TURNED THELIGHT ON HE SAW HIS SON HANGING BY ROPE FROM THE RAFTER OF THE GARAGE
AND HE THEN CALLED THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
UPON THE ARRIVAl OF THE EMPLOYEES OF HORAN FUNERAL SERVICE I ASSISTED IN
CUTIING THE BODY DOWN FROM THE RAFTER, IT WAS PLACED IN A BODY BAG AND
TRANSPORTED FROM THE SCENE BY HORAN FUNERAL SERVICE. I THEN REMOVED
THE REMAINDER OF THE ROPE FROM THE ROOF TRUSS. THE NOOSE FASHIONED
FROM THE ROPE WAS LEFT ON THE BODY AT THE TIME. IT WAS LATER TURNED OVER
TO THIS OFFICER BY CORONER GERRITS.
IN SPEAKING WITH CORONER GERRITS SHE HAD INDICATED THAT SHE BELIEVED
BECAUSE OF RIGOR MORTIS IN THE BODY THAT THE BODY HAD BEEN HANGING IN
THIS POSITION FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 Y; TO 5 HOURS, THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT
THE SUICIDE TOOK PLACE SOMETIME PRIOR TO 12:00 MIDNIGHT. CORONER GERRITS
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ALSO ADVISED THAT BASED ON THE INFORMATION SHE DID NOT BELIEVE AN AUTOPSY
WAS WARRANTED IN THIS MATTER AND WOULD NOT ORDER ONE.
PRIOR TO REMOVAL OF THE BODY FROM THE HANGING POSITION. IT WAS
PHOTOGRAPHED BY THIS OFFICER. THOSE PHOTOS ARE ATTACHED AS A
SUPPLEMENT AND THE NOOSE TAKEN FROM THE BODY HAS BEEN ENTERED INTOPROPERTY INVENTORY.
UPON EXAMINING THE SCENE I OBSERVED THAT THE BODY OF THOMAS ERBS WAS
RESTING ON A WOODEN BOX APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES HIGH OFF THE FLOOR,ALSO LAYING NEXT TO THE BOX WAS A PLASTIC FIVE GALLON PAIL WITH COVER.' IT
WAS THE OPINION OF THIS OFFICER THAT THE FIVE GALLON PAIL WAS PLACED ON
TOP OF THE WOODEN BOX AND FROM THAT FIVE GALLON PAIL THOMAS ERBS MAY
HAVE TIED THE ROPE ON THE ROOF TRUSS AND FASTENED THE NOOSE AROUND tllS
NECK. AND FOLLOWING THAT THE FIVE GALlON PLASTIC PAIL WAS KICKED OVERCAUSING DEATH AND THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY OF THOMAS ERBS STRETCHED
THE ROPE LONG ENOUGH THAT HIS FEET CAME TO REST ON THE WOODEN BOX
BELOW THE FIVE GALLON PAIL.
END OF REPORT.
OFFICER: _--=-..,.-_----, -..,.----- DATE: _THOMAS L . THORNTON
-SUPERVISOR: COPIES: _
djb 06/23/09 @ 9:16 a.m._ . ' . _ . . • _ . .k . . . - .~ - - _ .-- _ " - - - '' ' _ ' ' ' '._
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CHIPPEWA COUNTY SHERIFf'S DEPARTMENT
SUPPLEMENTARY INVESTIGATION REPORT
COMPLAINT #: 200908272
NATURE O F COMPLAIN T: #2 DEATH/SUICIDE
DEPUTI ' : SCT ROBERT C.CUNNINGHAM #2488
DAT E O F IN IT IA L COMPLAIN T: 0612]/09@0207, SUNDA Y
. _ ".-06120/09 (pOSSIBLY AFTER ]()"]0:30 P.M.) .
19080 71ST AVENUE
• 6 •
DATE & T IM E O F O FFENS E:
L OCAT ION O F O FF EN SE :
DEPUTY ARR IVED : 06/21/09@APPROX 0222 HRS, SUNDAY
DECEASED: THOMAS f. ERBS DOB: 10/01189
19080 71ST A VENUE
CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI 54729
SUBJECT:. . . . .----~.~~ ..~$4 ~ J~ _
.' ..,-. ,___._ ~.,-
OTHER PERSONS MENT IONED flNVOLVED:
JEffREY P. ERRS DOB: 01/12 /56
19080 71ST AVENUE
CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI 54729HIP: 715-720-8054
MARY ANN ERBS DOB: 08/06 /45
19080 71ST AVENUE
CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI 54729
HIP: 715-720-8054
DETAIL S OF INVESTIGATION :
. . .
ON S UNDAY 06/21 /09 AT A PPROX IMATE LY 2 :0 7 A .M . T HE CHIP PEWA COU JI.'T Y SHE RIFF 'S
DEPARTMENT W AS NOTIFIED OF A SUICIDE B '; HANGING IN THE TOWNSHIP OF
LA FA Y ETIE. I, SGT CUNNINGHAM , AS W ELL AS DEPUTY THOM AS THORNTON
RESPONDED. PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE ERBS ' RESIDENCE, I HAD TELEPHONE CONTACT
W ITH DISPATCH AND I W AS INFORM ED THAT THE COM PLAINANT, JEFFREY ERBS, THE
FATHER OF THE DECEASED , W AS NOT REAL COOPERATIVE AND W HEN HE CONTACTED
THE SHERIFF 'S DEPARTMENT HE STATED TO THE EFFECT YOU GOT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN
A SK IN G FO R.
AS I AND DEt'UTY THORNTON ARRIVED AT 19080 71STAVENUE, I W ALKED IN THE
AITACHED GARAGE WHERE THE SERVICE DOOR W AS OPEN AND VIEW ED IN THE
KITCHEN A FEM ALE SUBJECT W HO W AS CRYING UNCONTROLLABLY AND SHAKING. THE
SUBJECT W AS IDENTIFIED AS M ARY ANN ERBS, THE STEP-M OTHER TO THE DECEASED .