•  CASE STUDIES
   by Leon Podles
• Philip Anthony Magaldi
• Peter Kramer
• Donald Matthew Osgood
• Canon N.
• Clive Lynn
• Edward Donelan
  
•  MURDER CASE STUDIES
   by Leon Podles
• Joseph J. Pilger
• Michael Mack
• John Patrick Kerrigan
• Alfred J. Kunz
• Reynaldo Rivera
• Irene Garza
• Patrick Ryan
• John J. Geoghan
• Ryan Erickson

The Rev. Ryan Erickson Case Study

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Suicide by Hanging

 

While he was stationed in Hudson, Erickson became a friend of Tom Burns, who later described Erickson as a “John Wayne fan, a ‘man’s man’ who loved to hunt and fish.”142“Police Sought Lawyer After Questioning,” Ironwood  Daily Globe, December 23, 2004, p. 2. On Friday night, December 17, 2004, Richard Reams (also a friend of the murdered Dan O’Connell) and Tom Burns came to visit him because they had heard that police were questioning him about the murder and that he was upset and uneasy. On Saturday, December 18, 2004, Erickson said the 4 p.m. mass at St. Mary’s. The two friends went out to dinner with him. He seemed upset but not distraught. The only odd thing he said was that “he had lived more life than most 80 year olds.”143 Police Department, Statement of Thomas Robert Burns , December 19, 2004, 10:25 A.M. They watched two movies, “Bells of St. Mary’s” and John Wayne’s “Big Jake.” The last words they exchanged that night were “God bless.” Reams and Burns stayed in the rectory with Erickson.144 Randy Furst, “The Funeral Home Murders: Police Asked Priest Hard Questions in Hudson’s Slayings,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, January 13, 2005.

 

At 7:02 a.m. Reams got up and greeted Erickson, who seemed his usual self. Reams got ready for church; he noticed that the door to the smoking room was closed and he assumed that Erickson was getting ready for Mass. Reams went downstairs to start his truck. He had just left the rectory when “I stopped when I saw a body part on the ground part being held off the ground by a rope that was tied around the neck.” Reams ran back and rang the bell at the rectory door, then he saw a maintenance man blowing snow and waved to him, yelling “Father Ryan has killed himself.” The maintenance man replied, “No, That’s just a dummy. He is always playing jokes on me.”

 

Reams was not pleased with the joke and muttered “that sonofabitch” and proceeded to clear the snow off his truck. Reams went inside the rectory to tell Burns and Erickson to get the dummy down. They couldn’t find Erickson. Reams and Burns went outside; Reams “noticed frost crystals on an ear and thought frost wouldn’t form on a dummy.” They ran back in and found on the table three letters and the crown of thorns ring that the two friends had given Erickson on Christmas two years ago.145 Police Department, Statement of Richard Jon Reams, December 19, 2004, 10:25 a.m. They called the police, and by coincidence a camera crew showed up within minutes, intending to interview Erickson about the abuse allegations.

 

Erickson left his friends a suicide note:

When he was at St. Patrick’s Church in Hudson, Erickson had told the school children that suicide was a mortal sin and that those who committed suicide would go to hell. After his own suicide, children at St. Patrick’s asked the pastor, Rev. Szleszinski, whether Erickson was in hell. Szleszinski told the children Erickson was wrong in this case, that “he was not in hell and the children should pray for him.”147 Levra, “Hudson Chief Says Priest Not Suspect,” Ironwood Daily Globe,” January 4, 2005.

 

In his unsigned Last Will and Testament (written on November 15, 2004, after his first interview by the police and modified December 8, 2004, the day after the second and final interview by the police), Erickson left to his family and friends his computer equipment, guns, swords, bayonets, movie collection, his dog “The Beast,” and his religious items: his Breviary, his rosary, his chalices, the cross of St. Francis, the picture of Padre Pio, the picture of Our Lady of Guadeloupe, the picture of Jesus looking over Jerusalem, the picture of Simeon holding the baby Jesus, etc.

 

But Erickson also collected other images. When the police searched Erickson’s hard drive on his computer, they discovered, in addition to games such as Atomic Pop and Space Rocks and music ranging from Johnny Cash to Ave Maria, a deeply buried file My Pictures\folder\holy Mass Prayers\Mass prayers\New Folder, which had been created on August 26, 2004, and last accessed December 12, 2004, shortly before Erickson’s suicide. It contained “more than forty images of gay and prepubescent male pornography in a variety of sex acts and poses.”148“Case Closed; Erickson Blamed,” Hudson Star-Observer, October 6, 2005. The police described some of the images:

 

 

Police also discovered post-it notes, signed by “Ryan” or “Ryan XOXO” but not in Ryan Erickson’s handwriting. The notes read: “Wear Me! I’m back, come up when you return!” and “I’m going over to the library thru the Computer Lab. Be back as soon as possible” and “Try me on for size! I’m upstairs, come up when you’re through” and “Wear these, Please,” and “I’m up in my room!”150Hudson Police Department, Case J-02 0477, Supplemental Report Form, December 16, 2004.

 

In his farewell letter to his parents, attached to his will, Erickson admitted he was a sinner:

To the last he maintained that he did not murder anyone:

Erickson claimed that “I have been tormented for years, ever since I was twelve years old.” From the context, it appears he was acknowledging his sexual failures, and traced them to something that happened when he was twelve. Was he molested himself at that age? Or is he just trying to portray himself as a victim?

 

But then he takes an odd detour:

Having acknowledged his guilt in sexual matters, he still denies having committed the murder: “I did NOT, however, kill Dan O’Connell or James – or anyone for that matter.”

 

He repeats his weariness:

Erickson claims he has to prove he is innocent of the murders and cannot prove it, but focuses on the argument that nothing can be proved against him:

These are not the words of an innocent man.

The whole tone of the letter is false. Experts of the Vidocq Society dissected it, pointing out the “aggressive anger” which Erickson justified by portraying himself as a “misunderstood and wronged victim.” Erickson wrote with “grandiosity,” “theatrical flair” and with “operatic declaration.” He tried “to present a beleaguered servant of God who had become overwhelmed by the cares, vicissitudes, and wrongful insinuations.” He presents “a litany of excuses for being an aggressor.” While claiming he could not possibly kill anyone, he was planning to kill himself. Erickson’s last request in his will was “Please have Masses said for my soul, and offer penances for my eternal rest.” He still wanted Ryan Erickson, and not the victims of Ryan Erickson’s crimes, to be the center of everyone’s care. Despite his pleas for prayer and forgiveness, his focus remained himself. He still wanted to escape the consequences of his actions.152 Letter from Richard D. Walker to Detective Shawn Pettee, January 13, 2005.

 

Lundgren on January 11, 2005, wrote to the police about Erickson’s admission of the murder.153 Police Department, Statement of Russell J. Lindgren, January11, 2005; Randy Furst, “Priest Likely Was Killer, Judge Finds,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, October 4, 2005.

Even after Erickson’s death, his friends and supporters refused to cooperate with police.154“Some Still Won’t Talk to Police about Priest,” Hudson Star-Observer, February 4, 2005. It was perhaps understandable that Burns shortly after Erickson’s suicide was angry at the police and told an officer that “I want to tear your fucking head off, but then I’d get arrested.”155Hudson Police Department, Case J-02 0477, Supplemental Report Form, December 23, 2004. But others were also extremely uncooperative in an investigation of a double murder. One refused to talk to the police unless he was subpoenaed.156Hudson Police Department, Case J-02 0477, Supplemental Report Form, May 4, 2005. Others would not talk to the police except “through the court system to ensure a neutral environment in which questions are reviewed by the DA and responses are recorded by the court reporter.”157E-mail from Friend of Father Ryan to Meg Heaton [at local newspaper], February 2, 2005, forwarded to Hudson Police Department.

 

At the request of the O’Connell family, a John Doe hearing was held. “According to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, the purpose of a John Doe proceeding is to determine that a crime has probably been committed and who probably committed it.”158Colleen Kottke, “John Doe: Is Law Just a Legal Thorn in the Side of Correctional Officers?” Fond du Lac Reporter, December 13, 2007. Such a hearing is held in front of a judge without a jury; it may be closed; and the standard of proof is civil (the preponderance of evidence) rather than criminal (beyond a reasonable doubt). Witnesses can be compelled to testify under threat of jail time. Only five states have this investigative tool, and it is rarely used.

 

St. Croix District Attorney Eric Johnson presented the evidence to Judge Eric Lundell on October 3, 2005. Fifteen witnesses testified, revealing much of the information contained in this case study. Judge Lundell stated at the end of the hearing about the murders and sexual assaults: “I find that and conclude that Ryan Erickson probably committed these crimes in question. On a scale of one to ten as far as strength of evidence I would consider this ten. It is a very strong case for circumstantial evidence.”159 John Doe, p. 201, ll. 8-12.

 

After the hearing Ellison’s mother said that the clergy are not above suspicion: “Only God is without sin. He is not God. He is a human being.” Mike O’Connell, Dan’s brother, added: “God is probably as sad today as we are.”160 Harter, “Judge: Priest Was Funeral Home Killer,” St. Paul Pioneer Press, October 4, 2005.

 

Although the diocese of Superior knew that Erickson had admitted to two incidents of sexual abuse before he entered the seminary, that he was accused while in the seminary of another incident of sexual abuse, and that he behaved questionably at the seminary, it did not list him as an accused priest in its own audit of sexual abuse or in the survey that the bishops of the United States had commissioned the John Jay School of Criminal Justice to do in 2004  - because the incidents and accusations did not occur when Erickson was a priest.161“Before Retiring, Bishop Should Admit All Abuse,” Duluth News-Tribune, October 9, 2005.

 

After the John Doe hearing, no one from the diocese called O’Connell’s widow to offer condolences or apologies.162 Scott and Kevin Harter, “Sex Charges Go Back Years,” St. Paul Pioneer Press, October 5, 2005. In fact, the only member of the clergy to call on the widow in the three and a half years after the murder was Ryan Erickson, the murderer.163“Jennie O’Connell Is Ready for the Healing to Begin,” Hudson Star-Observer, October 13, 2005. Bishop Fleiss was a busy man and had trouble finding a time to meet with the widow of Daniel O’Connell. Fliss was asked why he took so long to visit the parishes in which Erickson had been stationed; he replied, “I really don’t have a good answer for that.” When asked whether he thought Erickson committed the murders, he replied “I still hope he didn’t. In my heart I still hope he didn’t.”164Matt Mckinney, “Bishop Voices Regrets,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 5, 2005. When the O’Connell and Ellison families tried to meet with Catholic bishops in November 2005 when the bishops were meeting in Washington, the families were first “ejected from the downtown hotel” and then invited back for a ten-minute discussion with a member of the bishops’ staff. The bishops, the staff member explained, could not speak to the families, as the bishops were much too busy: “they have a full agenda.”165Alan Cooperman, “Families Try, Fail to Talk to Bishops,” Washington Post, November 15, 2005. It did not include sexual abuse.166Alan Cooperman, “Two Families Seek Church Accountability in Abuse Cases,” Washington Post, November 14, 2005. The O’Connell’s filed a suit against U.S. Catholic bishops asking them to reveal the names of all credibly accused priests. The lawsuit was dismissed in December 2007.167Chao Xiong, “Lawsuit against Bishops Halted, Hudson Family Vows to Fight On,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 31, 2007.

 

Carsten and Sally Ellison, the parents of James Ellison, did not join in this suit against the Catholic bishops. Instead they filed a wrongful death suit, asking for unspecified damages to go to the James Ellison Foundation for the Protection of Children.168AP, “Judge Rejects Requests to Dismiss Wrongful Death Lawsuit,” Winona Daily News, July 1, 2007. The suit was dismissed; the judge declared that it was “too remote” to think they diocese had information which might have led them to suspect Erickson was capable of murder, although the diocese was aware of Erickson’s “temper, child pornography, and violent tendencies.” The attorney for the diocese applauded the judge’s decision.169Chuck Rupnow, “Lawsuit Rejected in Case of Priest Who Killed Two,” Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, September 23, 2008.

 

A woman whose daughter was murdered wrote to the O’Connell family:

 

Footnotes

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Learn more about the Crossland Foundation and what it is doing at www.crosslandfoundation.org