Thomas' Death Report

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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


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

-------...... -----------~-. - : - : . . ; ; . , _ _ - . .-&-'.~:r.- ;; -5-¢




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

. .' ..




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 . . . - .~ - - _ .-- _ " - - - '' ' _ ' ' ' '._

. - .. , .




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


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


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 .

Thomas' Death Report

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