Casefile True Crime - Case 151: Dan O’Connell & James Ellison

Episode Date: August 1, 2020

Residents of Hudson, Wisconsin are left rattled when funeral director Dan O’Connell and his trainee James Ellison are found shot to death in The O’Connell Family Funeral Home. The two were hardworking men with no known enemies and nothing about their murders seem to add up. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Jessica Forsayeth Written by Erin Munro Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-151-dan-oconnell-james-ellison

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. The city of Hudson is nestled in far west Wisconsin, a state famous for being America's Dairyland due towards production of cheese, milk and ice cream. Separated from the state of Minnesota by the St. Croix River, Hudson is a small scenic city characterized by historic architecture, leafy parks and a wide offering of outdoor

attractions including walking tracks, water sports, rock climbing and camping. By the year 2002, the city was home to a close-knit community of around 6,000 residents and was regarded as a safe place to live. Violent crime was well below the national average and a murder hadn't been committed in the area for 24 years. The only funeral home in Hudson was a sprawling single-story brick and weatherboard building owned by local resident Tom O'Connell, whose family had lived in the area for generations. Tom's uncle had owned an undertaking business in town prior to World War II and in 1985,

Tom decided to relaunch the family business. He opened the O'Connell family funeral home at 520 11th Street, a quiet, tree-lined road close to the downtown district. Two of his sons, Mike and Dan, eventually began working alongside him. Dan had initially trained as an emergency medical technician but was happy to follow in his father's footsteps by switching to a career in mortuary science. In 1998, he quit his EMT work to concentrate on the family business full-time. Dan was a dedicated worker, known for putting the needs of others ahead of his own and for

always taking the time to comfort the grieving relatives who attended the funeral home. Married with two young children, Dan had a reputation as a dedicated family man who was eager to give back to his community. He spent tireless hours working to better his hometown by serving on several local committees and raising funds for various organisations. As a result, Dan was well known and liked by other Hudson locals. The O'Connell family funeral home also offered trainee positions to mortuary science students who were completing their studies.

One such trainee was 22-year-old James Ellison, who had quickly proved himself to be a valuable employee. James had grown up with his parents and two siblings in the rural town of Barron, located about 68 miles northeast of Hudson. He was friendly and well-liked, with a range of interests that included golf, music and church activities. During high school, James had played in the school band and was active in not-for-profit youth organisation 4H.

He later enrolled to study mortuary science at the University of Minnesota, where he took his career path very seriously. Friendly, polite and organised, James took great pride in his trainee work, on one occasion remarking, I'm so proud that I can help people in the worst time of their lives. James was due to graduate from university in May of 2002, and it was anticipated that the O'Connell's would then offer him a full-time job. In the early afternoon of Tuesday, February 5, 2002, St. Croix County Medical Officer

Marty Shanklin headed over to the O'Connell family funeral home to conduct a routine visit. Due to the requirements of his job, he was well acquainted with the O'Connell's, and on this occasion he needed Dan to sign a death certificate. Marty arrived at 1.40pm and immediately made his way to Dan's office, which was located towards the back of the building. Upon entering, he was met by a horrifying saying. Marty Shanklin saw that 39-year-old Dan O'Connell was seated lifeless at his desk, with what appeared to be a bullet wound to the head.

Nearby, the deceased body of 22-year-old trainee James Ellison was slumped over a chair close to the door, realising that the two men had been killed and fearful that the culprit might still be inside the building. Marty hurried out of the funeral home to call the police. Shortly after, a number of officers from the Hudson Police Department arrived at the scene, along with members from St. Croix County's Emergency Response Unit. Mindful that the killer might still be on the premises, the officers entered the front door of the funeral home with their guns drawn.

They found no one inside except for the bodies of the two victims. As Marty had described, Dan had been killed at his desk, while it appeared as though James had been shot as he entered the room, most likely to investigate the sound of the gunshot that had killed his boss. Both men appeared to have suffered point-blank gunshots to the head, with several bullet casings found on the floor. Outside of Dan's office, the funeral home appeared to be in perfect order, with no signs of a disturbance or a struggle.

Officers initially wondered if they were dealing with a murder-suicide, but no gun was found at the scene, and this theory was quickly ruled out. As Dan was known to be a practicing Catholic, the officers called the nearby St. Patrick's Church to request that a priest come and bless the funeral home. Meanwhile, the nearby streets were cordoned off, and officers began searching the area for clues and door-knocking neighboring houses to see if anyone had heard anything suspicious. By 2.27 pm, the crime scene had been secured, and the officers faced the difficult task of notifying the victim's families.

Dan's widow Jenny and their two children, 9-year-old Kyle and 7-year-old Caitlin, were devastated by the news. The family had been planning to celebrate Kyle's 10th birthday together the following day, but were now left completely grief-stricken. Recent friends rallied around them, including their local parish priest, Father Ryan Erickson, who told them he had blessed the funeral home while Dan's body was still inside. At 5 that afternoon, Father Erickson visited Dan's home to embrace Jenny and to pray with her.

Dan's parents, Tom and Janet O'Connell, were on holiday in Florida when they received the news that their son had been killed, and they returned to Wisconsin immediately. James Ellison's family, who were devout Lutherans, were equally shattered. They knew how hard James had been working and how much he had been looking forward to the future. Just the day prior to his death, he and his girlfriend had discussed getting engaged. Jesus' younger brother, Jordan Ellison, told the media, quote, �We can't imagine why someone would do this.

We think James was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He never really had any run-ins or things like that that would cause this. It is hard to understand why.� The murders also rocked the tight-knit Hudson community, where news of the crime spread quickly. No one could imagine why someone would want to kill the two beloved upstanding citizens. One of Dan's neighbors, Kevin Olson, recalled how Dan had helped him out the previous year, despite the fact that they barely knew one another.

Kevin stated, �I was out shoveling snow one day, and he came over with his snowblower. When he was done, he said, �Now you go inside and spend some time with that little girl of yours.� That's just the type of guy he was. Mayor of Hudson, Jack Brault, echoed Kevin's thoughts, telling the media, quote, �Dan was an outstanding citizen. Just the kind of guy you not only liked, but you loved. He was just the most wonderful person you would ever want to meet.�

The fact that such a crime could have been committed in Hudson, Mayor Brault added, �We are a small community. Everybody knows everybody. This doesn't happen.� Those tasked with solving the double homicide were equally as baffled. There hadn't been a murder in Hudson since 1978, and after speaking with the families of both victims at length, investigators were struggling to come up with a motive. After conducting inquiries, it was determined that Tuesday, February 5, had started out

as an ordinary day for Dan O'Connell. In the morning, he had left his family home to attend a work meeting in the nearby village of Baldwin, roughly 22 miles east of Hudson. He left the meeting at around 9.45 a.m., explaining that he had an appointment with someone back in Hudson. From there, he had driven to work. Dan's wife, Jenny, said there was nothing out of the ordinary that morning. Jenny recalled that Dan had mentioned having a meeting scheduled at his office at 2 p.m.,

but she didn't know who the meeting was with or what it was regarding. The day had also started well for James Ellison. He had told his parents that he was particularly looking forward to going to work, as he and Dan planned to sit down together to discuss James' future in the business. That morning, James had attended university classes across the border in Minnesota, leaving at around 11 a.m. to make the 30-minute drive to the O'Connell family funeral home. Like Dan, no one had noted anything out of the ordinary about James that day. On Wednesday, February 6, the day after the murders, autopsies confirmed that both men

had died from a single execution-style gunshot wound to the head. Though headshots are an effective way to kill someone, they can be difficult to carry out due to the head being a small, moving target. This led police to believe that the killer must have considerable experience with firearms. In order to preserve their investigation, investigators opted to withhold details of how the men were killed from the public. Over the past month, a number of funeral homes in the nearby Minnesota city of St. Paul had been burgled and formaldehyde had been stolen from their premises.

Formaldehyde is often used as an embalming fluid, but it can also strengthen the potency of cannabis, prompting some drug dealers to seek it out. Theorizing whether the murders could have been motivated by theft, investigators carried out a thorough inventory of the O'Connell family funeral home in an attempt to ascertain whether anything had been stolen. However, everything appeared to be in its place, ruling out burglary as the perpetrator's motive. There were also no signs of a break-in, which indicated the killer had simply entered via

the front door. The crime scene was thoroughly examined, but no further evidence was found. Phone records revealed that at 1.08 pm, Dan O'Connell had made an outgoing call from his office landline. Fifteen minutes later, at 1.23 pm, a call was placed to James Ellison's cell phone that went unanswered. At 1.36 pm, a call to the funeral home also rang out. Consequently, police believed the murders must have been committed between 1.08 and 1.23

pm. Looking for other possible leads, investigators considered whether escaped criminal Stephen Dwayne Neal could be responsible for the murders. Neal was a fugitive from Arkansas who was wanted for a triple homicide. A month earlier, his two accomplices had been arrested outside an apartment building in Hudson, but Neal was still on the run. Police theorized that Neal could have also fled to Hudson, where he killed Dan and James. But there was nothing tying him to the murders, and no sightings of him had been reported in

the area. Police also looked into the unsolved homicide of a retired mortician named Boyd Novinger, who had been murdered in his Iowa home five years earlier. However, the only similarity between Boyd, Dan and James was that they had all worked in the same field, and police soon abandoned this line of investigation. They issued an appeal to the public, asking anyone with information to come forward, especially if they had seen any vehicles parked at the funeral home on the day of the shooting. On Saturday, February 9, four days after the murders, Dan O'Connell's funeral was

held at St Patrick's Catholic Church, where he had been married years earlier and regularly attended mass with his family. A crowd of more than 2,000 mourners gathered to pay their respects, making it the largest funeral in Hudson's history, with extra chairs having to be brought in to accommodate everyone. Dan's father Tom and his brother Mike had prepared a two-hour service that paid tribute to Dan and the shining example he had set as both a colleague and beloved family member. Mayor Brault delivered one of the eulogies, Father Ryan Erickson read a verse of scripture, and the St Patrick's Choir provided music.

After the service, Dan's coffin was driven to the St Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, escorted by a procession of 61 police, fire, and ambulance vehicles. James Ellison's funeral was held two days later on Monday, February 11, in his hometown of Barron. James was then buried at Wayside Cemetery in a family plot, where his parents could be laid to rest alongside him upon their eventual passing. James' parents set up an annual scholarship in their son's name for mortuary science students at the University of Minnesota, where the faculty agreed to let James graduate

posthumously alongside his classmates in May 2002. Meanwhile, the investigation into the murders continued, and on Tuesday, February 12, police set up a roadblock outside the O'Connell family funeral home, where they pulled over every passing car. Over two hours, approximately 300 motorists were asked whether they recalled seeing anything unusual on the day of the shootings. When this failed to generate any useful leads, Hudson Police called the Federal Bureau of Investigation to see if they could offer any assistance, and the department was provided

with an FBI spokesperson. A possible lead emerged when it was discovered that a Wisconsin-based religious group called the Rest of Jesus Ministry had sent more than 400 threatening letters to various mortaries over the previous year, including the O'Connell family funeral home. The group was opposed to the embalming techniques employed by morticians, as they believed that it desecrated the human body. Instead, the Rest of Jesus Ministry felt the deceased should simply be wrapped in a linen cloth prior to burial.

The group's leader was a woman named Catherine Padilla, who lived in the Wisconsin city of Eau Claire, approximately 67 miles east of Hudson. On Tuesday, February 12, for the threatening letters she had been circulating, Padilla was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct and stalking. Padilla denied any responsibility for the murders of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison, remarking, I am a mailman for God, and I am not an assassin for the devil. The charges against Padilla were eventually dropped on the condition that she ceased sending

letters to funeral homes, and with no direct evidence tying Padilla or her followers to the murders, this lead also went cold. On Friday, February 15, Hudson Police launched a website where people could submit tips relating to the double homicide, reassuring the public that they could remain anonymous if they wished. Two weeks later, the grieving members of the O'Connell family appeared at a press conference alongside investigators, where Hudson Police Chief Richard Trendy revealed that police were chasing up a number of leads regarding vehicles seen in the area on the day in question. He stated,

Dan's father, Tom, thanked the community for their ongoing support and urged them to pray for the killer, stating, On Tuesday, April 30, almost three months after the murders, the Hudson Police Department announced a $100,000 reward was available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Dan and James' killer. The funds had been donated by the citizens of Hudson, who were concerned that the person responsible still hadn't been apprehended. That same day, police also released a description of a man who was seen near the funeral home

between 1 and 1.30pm on the day of the murders. He was described as between 5 foot 8 and 6 foot 1, with a slender to medium build and had been wearing a short-sleeved, light-colored t-shirt, light blue pants and a baseball cap. A witness had seen him enter a white, mid-sized vehicle that was either new or very clean and had later reported the sighting to police. Investigators stressed that the man wasn't a suspect and that they simply wanted to know if he had seen or heard anything that could be useful to their investigation. Despite the announcement of the reward and the description of a person of interest, months

passed without any significant developments in that case. Investigators continued to pursue every lead that emerged, but none seemed to be connected to the crime. By the end of 2002, a team of officers led by Sergeant Paul Larson and Detective Jeff Knops were working on the case full-time, but the first anniversary of the murders approached with no breakthroughs. In the lead-up to the anniversary, the leader Telegram newspaper published an article about the case, in which police chief Trendy reiterated his department's commitment to solving it.

The O'Connell and Ellison families speculated that the murderer had likely only planned to kill one of the men, but ultimately decided to kill them both to avoid having a witness. They weren't sure whether Dan or James had been the target, or why, with the James' mother Sully remarking. It's going to be a stupid, selfish reason. There is no reason that will justify what happened, and I'm not sure knowing will make it any better. Both families drew on their religious beliefs to support them through their grief.

Dan's mother Janet said that hugs and prayers from well-wishers had helped sustain her, while James' father Carsten noted, We do have faith, and if we didn't have that, it would be too hard. What bothers us is the unfairness of it. On Wednesday, February 5, 2003, to mark the one-year anniversary of the deaths, a quiet remembrance for Dan and James was held outside the O'Connell family funeral home. 300 people attended the 20-minute ceremony, which began at 1pm, the approximate time the two men had been killed a year prior.

Dan's wife, Jenny, told the crowd, Quote We as a community have rallied together, searching and praying for answers. I truly believe they will be answered. Each one of you has done something special for me. Whether it was a hug or a kiss, a thought or a prayer, or just a smile, it has never gone unnoticed. I feel your strength.

I feel your love. James' mother Sally referenced the verse from the Bible, saying, Rejoice in the world, always rejoice. We rejoice in the lives they lived while they were here, and rejoice that they reside with the Lord now. Although Sergeant Larson and Detective Knops were still working on the investigation full time, another year passed by with no further developments in the case. In early 2004, they were joined by Detective Sean Petty, who had known Dan O'Connell since

they were both children, and had promised to Dan's wife, Jenny, that he wouldn't rest until her husband's murder was solved. One day, while reviewing some files, Detective Knops came across something that caught his attention. A year earlier, in March 2003, a man who was later given the pseudonym Thomas Smith had gone to his local police station in the city of Bismarck, North Dakota, to report some unsettling behavior that had occurred when he was an adolescent living in Wisconsin. In 1999, then 15-year-old Thomas was training to be an altar boy at St. Ann's Parish in

the Wisconsin town of Somerset. There, he had met a 26-year-old seminary intern named Ryan Erickson, a bespectacled baby-faced man with dark hair. A year later, Father Erickson became an ordained priest and was assigned to St. Patrick's Church in Hudson. Sixteen-year-old Thomas got into some minor trouble with the law and was assigned community service to be completed under Father Erickson's supervision. Father Erickson lived at the house adjacent to St. Patrick's Church, known as the Rectory.

According to Thomas, when he visited the Rectory, Father Erickson would ply him with beer and liquor, which he stored in a model globe. The pair would play drinking games that required Thomas to drink a shot every time he lost. Over the course of two years, Thomas estimated he consumed around 1,200 beers and 1,200 shots in Father Erickson's presence. The drinking occasionally caused him to vomit or pass out, at which point Father Erickson would say, �All the college kids are going to laugh at you.

You need to hold your liquor better.� When speaking to the Bismarck police, Thomas also hinted that there had been some other inappropriate behavior from Father Erickson, but the issue of underage drinking was the primary focus of his report. On April 8, 2003, the report was forwarded to the Hudson Police Department, but because it simply appeared to involve someone serving alcohol to minors, it had gone unnoticed. When Detective Knops read the report in early 2004, he decided to get in touch with Thomas Smith to discuss the issue further.

On April 9, Thomas was interviewed about the times he spent with Father Erickson. He claimed that during their drinking sessions, the pair would often lie side by side in bed dressed only in boxer shorts, discussing subjects such as masturbation. Father Erickson also revealed that he often got drunk and participated in orgies. He disliked the fact that Thomas had a girlfriend and tried to convince the teenager to join the priesthood instead. According to Thomas, on approximately 10 occasions, Father Erickson had groped his genitals and attempted to intertwine their legs together.

While these assaults never escalated to intercourse, Thomas said he was often so drunk that he couldn't remember what had happened the next morning. Around this time, he became prone to mood swings and later struggled with alcoholism and physical intimacy with his girlfriend. Thomas hadn't realized that his experience with Father Erickson was wrong until he took a psychology course in college that described the way predators groom their victims. It was only then that he reported Father Erickson's inappropriate behavior to the Bismarck police. For Detective Knobbs, the conversation with Thomas led to the crucial discovery that there

was someone who'd been living in Hudson at the time of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison's murder, who might have something to hide. Father Ryan Erickson had arrived at St. Patrick's Church in Hudson shortly after being ordained in June 2000. He began working alongside the church pastor, Father Peter Shashlinsky, who was almost immediately taken aback by the young priests' extremely conservative views and approach to spiritual guidance. While the other priests wore suits to church, Father Erickson preferred to wear a traditional

full-length cassock. He also liked to speak Latin when offering mass, even though his Latin skills were poor, and the mainstream Catholic Church had ceased conducting Latin services during the early 1960s. Father Erickson's sermons predominantly fixated on sexual sins. He often cried and sobbed as he preached from the pulpit or spoke to members of his congregation, denouncing those whom he deemed to be lukewarm Catholics. An elderly parishioner named Jean Richie eventually grew so irritated by Father Erickson's constant

tears that she confronted him during one of his outbursts, asking, Aren't you overdoing it a bit? Can't you quit crying? To Jean's surprise, he was able to stop sobbing instantly. While the more moderate Catholics who attended mass at St. Patrick's found Father Erickson off-putting, the conservative worshipers applauded him, with one describing him as the ultimate priest who was extremely faithful to his religion. There was a school associated with the church, and Father Erickson was responsible for teaching

sex education to its students. He lectured them on the evils of contraception, abortion, and masturbation, and often forced them to confess their sins to him. Conservative parents appreciated Father Erickson's approach and wanted him to take on a larger role at the school, but other parents and the school principal were upset by the things he was telling their children. Father Erickson also preached against masturbation in a weekly newsletter that he emailed to his congregation.

He criticized some of the women who attended St. Patrick's, writing, Even Sunday mass is not safe from the immodest dress of some devils. They come to read, give out holy communion, etc., looking like an advertisement. Their immodest dress says to all present, I'm easy, please go home and masturbate to my beautiful body. The sad thing is, that some do. Father Erickson became particularly close to the conservative members of his congregation, and sometimes stayed at their houses.

As he was known to have a passion for firearms, one family gifted him a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which he took to wearing underneath his cassock. One day, the church pastor, Father Szleszinski, became extremely unwell and was admitted to hospital. Father Erickson told his congregation that the pastor was sick because he had a demon inside him, and added that if Father Szleszinski died, he hoped to be promoted to pastor. Eventually, some of the parishioners complained about Father Erickson to Bishop Raphael Fliss, who governed the diocese that St. Patrick's fell under.

In response, Bishop Fliss met with Father Erickson and instructed him to tone down his behavior. Though Father Erickson complained to his supporters that some congregants were out to get him, nothing else came of the matter. He remained at St. Patrick's until September 2003, just over a year and a half after the murders of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison, at which point he was reassigned to serve the Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in the small city of Ladysmith, located approximately 107 miles northeast of Hudson. In November 2004, investigators working on the double homicide decided it was time to

speak with Father Erickson directly. By this point, he was 31 years old, and had moved to St. Mary's Church in the Wisconsin city of Hurley. On Thursday November 11, detectives Petty and Knops travelled to Hurley, explaining to Father Erickson that they wanted to speak to him, purely because he had been the priest of the church that Dan O'Connell attended at the time of the murders. Father Erickson welcomed the two detectives into the rectory where he lived. He explained that the last time he had seen Dan was on January 30, 2002, about a week

before his murder, when the pair had been driving together to attend a burial at the cemetery. Dan had mentioned that he planned to attend confession soon, and was also hoping to have his house blessed, which Father Erickson said he would be happy to do anytime. He theorized to the detectives that the mafia could be responsible for the double homicide, as he had heard rumors that Dan's father had been associated with the organized crime syndicate until the group had turned against him. When asked about his whereabouts on the day of the murders, Father Erickson said he'd been out buying cigars.

When he returned to the church at around 3pm, his secretary informed him what had happened. He instructed the secretary to call and ask if he needed to visit the scene to perform the victim's last rites, before taking it upon himself to go to the O'Connell family funeral home. Police at the scene had denied him entry, so he had gone to counsel Dan's wife Jenny at her residence instead. Father Erickson explained, quote, I just wanted her to know that I was there. I was new at this, you know, I never had dealt with anybody dying from a tragedy before.

Later that evening, he had conducted a mass in which he asked his congregation to pray for Dan's family. During the course of the interview, Father Erickson explained that he was an avid gun collector and hunter, and that he planned to go deer hunting soon. He said he mainly used single shot shotguns for hunting, because, quote, my grandfather used to say, if you can't hit it with one, you shouldn't be out there shooting. He also showed the detectives his extensive handgun collection, describing his Ruger Redhawk .44 caliber magnum revolver as being, quote, like a $2.00 whore.

The detectives also noticed the model globe filled with bottles of liquor that Thomas Smith had described in his original report. Roughly an hour into the interview, Father Erickson began speculating as to how Dan O'Connell and James Ellison's bodies had been found, remarking, If I had to say what took place, I would say James was at the door and Dan was at the desk. He also stated his belief that each man was only shot once. These comments immediately alarmed detectives Petey and Knopp, as police had been consistently tight lipped about the crime scene and had never released these details.

When they asked Father Erickson how he knew this information, he explained that he'd either been told by Father James de Bruze, the priest who had gone to anoint the victim's bodies, or by one of Dan's siblings. Detectives Petey and Knopp's were troubled by Father Erickson's revelations. After the interview, they asked for his permission to take his handguns in for examination, which he agreed to. A forensic examination determined that none of the firearms had been used to commit the double homicide, but investigators remained suspicious.

Father de Bruze and Dan's siblings all denied providing Father Erickson with information as to how the bodies of Dan and James were found. Moreover, the person of interest who was witnessed entering a white, mid-sized vehicle near the funeral home on the day of the murders shared the same build as Father Erickson. At the time, he owned a pale silver Buick Regal, which was a mid-sized car that could easily be mistaken as white. The detectives requested a search warrant for Father Erickson's rectory and then asked him to attend a follow-up interview at the Rusk County Sheriff's Department in the city

of Ladysmith. Father Erickson agreed, and on Tuesday, December 7, 2004, he arrived at the station without a lawyer. This time, when the detectives asked how he knew where the bodies of Dan and James had been found, Father Erickson said that while he wasn't entirely sure, he believed he'd heard the details from either the media or gossip in the church office. One of the detectives responded, quote, In the course of this investigation, never once has anybody from the Hudson Police Department

ever mentioned where the bodies were. Or in the course of this investigation, through 1900, some people, has anybody ever brought up a speculation, a probability, a possibility, or anything like that as far as where the bodies were? If that hasn't been brought up in 1900 and some interviews, why do you know that? Father Erickson simply repeated that he'd overheard the information somewhere. When detectives raised the subject of him having behaved inappropriately with minors, Father Erickson appeared visibly shocked and began to noticeably perspire.

He conceded that he had served alcohol to at least four minors and had also laid in bed, fully clothed, alongside one of the teenage boys, but denied ever having sexual contact with any child or adult. Father Erickson described his behaviour as foolish and acknowledged that Dan O'Connell wouldn't have approved of such actions had he known about them, stating, Dan was an outstanding member of the community. As the interview went on, it was obvious that Father Erickson was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

He claimed there was a group of five women in Hudson who loathed him, and he suspected they were making trouble for him. When the detectives asked whether he would tell them who killed Dan and James if he had that information, Father Erickson replied, If I knew, and it was outside the sacrament of reconciliation, I would tell you. He admitted that the fact that he was being considered a suspect made him nervous and reminded the detectives that he had willingly cooperated by submitting his guns for examination. Father Erickson stated,

If I did it, and I've been living with it for this long, and you guys had me cornered here, I'd break, I'd tell you, I know I would. I think the guilt would be overwhelming, I really do. He admitted to having suicidal thoughts in the past and said that he would be having those thoughts again if he had committed the murders. The detectives were concerned that he might be at risk of harming himself, and offered to take Father Erickson to a hospital for treatment. But he emphatically denied being suicidal.

Father Erickson agreed to undergo a polygraph test, and an appointment was scheduled for the following week. On Monday, December 13, a state public defender called the Hudson Police Department to inform them that they would be representing Father Erickson from there on in, and their client would not be taking the polygraph test. Three days later, a warrant was granted for police to search Father Erickson's rectory. Inside, investigators discovered a number of post-it notes scrawled with brief messages. Although they were signed with Father Erickson's first name of Ryan, they weren't written

in his handwriting. One read, Try me on for size, I'm upstairs, come up when you're through. Another said, I'm up in my room. Some of the notes finished with XO, XO. To the detectives, the notes suggested that Father Erickson may be having an intimate relationship with another individual, which violated the life of celibacy that Catholic priests were required to adhere to. They also found a white paper bag that had a poem written on it in Father Erickson's

handwriting. The poem consisted of four stanzas, and repeatedly featured racial slurs against the black Americans, detailing how they would be massacred by, quote, fighting white boys from the four corners of the United States. When the detectives switched on Father Erickson's personal computer, they found a document that appeared to be his last will and testament. It had been written a month earlier on November 15, just four days after his first police interview, and was then modified the day after his second interview.

The will had been written in the past tense and contained statements such as, I tried to make a difference, which sparked concerns that Father Erickson may be suicidal. Once again, investigators confiscated his gun collection, giving them to the church deacon for safekeeping. They also seized 22 other items of interest for further examination, including Father Erickson's Bible, and both his and his secretary's computers. When word spread to some of Father Erickson's friends in Hudson that he was being investigated by police, they wanted to make sure he was all right.

On Friday, December 17, local men Richard Reims and Tom Burns drove the almost 200-mile journey to Hurley to visit their old friend for the weekend. They arrived at St. Mary's Church in the evening, and Father Erickson welcomed them into his home. The following day, Father Erickson told Richard that the police had been quite aggressive in their questioning of him. He said they had asked whether he'd had any sexual affairs with either men or women, which left him feeling violated.

He adamantly denied to Richard that he had anything to do with the murders of Dan and James. That evening, the three friends went out for dinner. Richard and Tom noticed that while Father Erickson was obviously upset, he didn't seem destroyed. He remarked that his life had been lived to a fuller extent than most 80-year-olds, which struck Richard and Tom as odd, but they didn't press the matter. After their meal, the trio returned to the rectory and watched two films before retiring

to their respective beds. The next morning, Richard got up just after 7am and greeted Father Erickson before spending some time getting ready for mass. A short while later, he went outside to clear some snow from his truck that had fallen overnight, but stopped suddenly. Hanging from the roof of the external walkway that connected the rectory to the church was a body with a rope wrapped around its neck. Richard raced to the rectory door and rang the bell before spotting the church's maintenance

worker clearing some snow outside. Richard called out to him. Father Ryan has killed himself, but the employee assured him it must be a mannequin as Father Erickson was prone to playing practical jokes. Placated, Richard went back to his truck to remove the snow before going inside to tell his friends to take the mannequin down. He found Tom, but Father Erickson was nowhere to be seen. Richard and Tom went back outside and noticed that there was frost on one of the mannequin's

ears. Thinking it was unlikely that frost would form on a mannequin, they raced into the rectory, where, lying on a table, they discovered three letters and a ring they had given Father Erickson two years earlier. Police were called to the scene and confirmed it was Father Erickson's body that was hanging in the rectory hallway. Within minutes, a television news camera crew also arrived. By complete coincidence, they had learned of the investigation into Father Erickson and

had planned to interview him about the abuse allegations. Early police chief Daniela Sparma, who had attended Father Erickson's church, fronted the media to explain that the priest's death was being investigated and an autopsy would be conducted. Chief of Sparma later revealed that he had spoken to Father Erickson in the afternoon prior to his death and had appeared to be doing well. Elaborating further, Chief of Sparma stated, Under Wisconsin law, I could have detained him if I thought he was a danger to himself

or others. But when I talked to him, he assured me he was fine. He had an attorney, he had friends, he had support, and he was fine. Early media reports about the priest's death stated that police were refusing to confirm or deny whether there was a connection to the 2002 murders of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison. On Tuesday, December 21, a spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Superior stated that they didn't know of any evidence linking Father Erickson to the crime.

A deacon from St Mary's Church told the Daily Globe that Erickson had nothing to do with the murders, stating, We do not believe he did it because of his personality, it was not within him. That is how we feel from our hearts. Father Erickson's friend Tom Burns described him to the Associated Press as a man's man who loved hunting, fishing, and the actor John Wayne. Tom added, There's no doubt in my mind that Erickson had this sexual problem, I believe that's

true. There's also no doubt in my mind that he didn't murder anyone. That didn't happen. The three letters Richard and Tom had found in Father Erickson's home turned out to be suicide notes. One was addressed to them, another was for his parents, and one wasn't directed at anyone in particular. In the general letter, Father Erickson addressed the allegations of his sexual misconduct,

writing, Ultimately, I have grown tired of this weary world, and of all the evil it has unleashed in the last 100 years. I'm extremely tired and disappointed with myself and all of the evils I have all too often performed. I do not know why I did what I did, believe me, I have often thought and prayed about it. Why was I so lustful?

Was I wired that way? Too easy an excuse. I chose, be it in the heat of passion, to do things I did. Please believe when I say that I was always sorry for my actions after I performed them. I did not, however, kill Dan O'Connell or James, or anyone for that matter. None of my guns matched, no DNA of mine was found, no one saw me leaving the funeral parlor. On Thursday, December 23, Chief of Sparma released the coroner's report confirming

that Father Erickson had died by suicide. Father Erickson was given a Catholic funeral service at St Matthew's Church in his hometown of Campbell's Port, Wisconsin, with five religious leaders officiating. Meanwhile, the investigation into his possible involvement in the murders of Dan O'Connell and to James Ellison continued. Father Erickson's friends were angry, uncooperative, and resented investigators' attempts to question them, with Tom Burns telling one officer, quote, I want to tear your fucking head off, but then I'd get arrested.

In early January, several of his friends were subpoenaed to give evidence as part of the ongoing investigation. Slowly, more details about Father Erickson's life began to trickle out. Though many described him as a jovial person who enjoyed playing pranks and having a laugh, those he attended high school with remembered him as a violent bully with a bad temper, who picked on smaller children. He had been polite and deferential when around adults, but around friends he swore, drank, and told crude jokes.

They had also exhibited extreme cruelty towards animals, with some old friends saying that he would pour water down gopher holes, then hit the animals with a golf club when they emerged. On one occasion, Father Erickson had made a small electric chair to execute a gopher on, and he was known for burning animal remains and crucifying them on stakes. His callous treatment of animals continued well into adulthood when he adopted a rescue dog named Beast. Witnesses often saw Father Erickson beating the dog, and he was known to stub out his

cigars on Beast's ears. Multiple witnesses also reported having seen Erickson point a BB gun or pretend to aim a rifle out of the rectory window at the parishioners he disliked as they exited the church car park. He also harbored extremely racist views, which he concealed from others. When Erickson was in his final year of high school, his father, who was a corrections officer, was transferred to another town more than 200 miles away. While the rest of the family relocated, Erickson had gone to live with a priest so that he

could continue at his school and graduate with his classmates. During this time, the religious convictions he had held since he was a young child grew even stronger. After graduating in May of 1992 at the age of 18, he entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in the city of Winona, Minnesota. That summer, Erickson went camping in northern Wisconsin and met a 14-year-old boy who was staying at the same campground. One night, he invited the boy to visit the trailer where he was staying, and after telling

him scary stories about the devil, he rested the boy's head in his lap and started massaging his back. The boy eventually removed his clothes, and Erickson fondled his genitals tools before offering to perform oral sex on him. The boy refused and returned to his own trailer where he reported the incident to his mother, who in turn phoned the police. The case was investigated, but as the 14-year-old had a history of depression and was receiving therapy for emotional trauma, investigators ultimately concluded that he wasn't a reliable

witness and that it would be difficult to prove the allegations. Though the county district attorney suspected there had been some impropriety on Erickson's part, he gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided not to file charges. Erickson continued with his religious studies and was eventually ordained on June 4, 2000. It was shortly after this that he was sent to St Patrick's Parish in Hudson, where he spent the next two years grooming and assaulting Thomas Smith, the teenager who later reported the abuse to Bismarck Police in 2003. One of Thomas' friends, who was given the pseudonym Edward Jones, was also present

for a number of Father Erickson's drinking sessions at the rectory. Edward was 14 when he first started spending time with the priest, but three years later he realized that he was being groomed for, quote, more than being a good Christian. Investigators soon learned that Father Erickson's preference for the company of young boys had been noticed by some parishioners at St Patrick's. On one occasion, a churchgoer had observed him swimming with a group of boys at a rural retreat and noticed that he was rubbing mud on the boys' backs. Another parishioner had once seen Father Erickson share an intimate embrace with a young man

outside the rectory. Analysis of Father Erickson's personal computer uncovered a hidden folder containing more than 40 explicit images of prepubescent and teenage males engaged in sexual acts. In a file path labeled My Pitches slash Boys, police also found photographs of boys sleeping at the last two rectories where Father Erickson had resided. In addition to gathering evidence that Father Erickson had groomed and abused minors, detectives also received several statements relating to the murders of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison.

A local journalist who was one of the first to arrive at the funeral home on the day of the shooting claimed that at around 2.30pm she had noticed a baby-faced priest dressed in a cassock standing nearby. This description matched Father Erickson, although police couldn't recall seeing him there, nor could Father De Bruze, the priest who had gone to anoint the victim's bodies. Located several blocks northwest of the O'Connell family funeral home was the Carmelite Monastery. One of the nuns that resided there, Sister Gemma, reported that between 2.30 and 2.45pm on the day of the murders, Father Erickson had visited and told her that Dan O'Connell

and his assistant had both been shot. He claimed to have gone to anoint the bodies but had been turned away. This was an interesting detail because at that point the police hadn't yet notified the public about the murders and Father Erickson wasn't at St. Patrick's when they called to request a priest. Therefore, had posed the question of how he could have known about the crime unless he had some involvement. Then, about three weeks after Father Erickson's suicide, the police received a letter from

Deacon Russell Lundgren of St. Mary's Church in Hurley. Although he had previously told the media that he didn't believe Father Erickson could have committed the murders, Deacon Lundgren revealed that Father Erickson had met with him on November 12, 2004, the day after his first police interview. He had been visibly upset and stared out the window as he confided that he was being investigated for the unsolved double homicide in Hudson. As the conversation progressed, Father Erickson became angrier and angrier, eventually declaring to Deacon Lundgren, quote, I've done it and they're going to catch me.

Do you know what they do with young guys in prison, especially priests? For investigators, this confession was proof that they had been correct to suspect Father Erickson, yet they still didn't have a clear explanation as to why he would target a funeral home director and his trainee. The investigation continued for the following two months, during which they uncovered some fascinating details. In March 2005, Hudson resident Mary Pagel, who also drove the St. Patrick school bus, contacted the police to make a report.

On the morning of February 5, 2002, the day of the murders, Mary Pagel had run into Dan O'Connell at the Hudson Walmart and the pair decided to have a coffee together. As they chatted, Dan asked Mary if she had ever seen Father Erickson touch a child in an inappropriate manner. When she replied that she hadn't, Dan then inquired if she'd noticed whether the priest mainly spent time with boys or girls. Mary answered that Father Erickson mostly ignored the girls and seemed to associate more with boys.

Dan then revealed that he had a meeting with Father Erickson scheduled for later that day, during which he planned to confront the priest regarding an allegation that he'd sexually assaulted a boy. Mary was concerned and had warned Dan to be careful. She suggested he consult police before speaking to Father Erickson, but Dan assured her that he could take care of himself. After her coffee with Dan, Mary had driven to St. Patrick's Church, where she saw Father Erickson leave the rectory in his silver Buick regal at 11.15 am.

Rather than wearing his usual cassock, he was dressed in jeans and a light-colored t-shirt. In the days following the murders, Mary met with Dan's family and told them about the coffee they'd shared, but she neglected to mention what Dan had said about Father Erickson. It was only after Father Erickson's suicide that it occurred to her that the murders could be linked to Dan's plan to confront the priest. A report was also made by Hudson resident Michael Swombie, who recalled having an interesting conversation with Father Erickson several months after Dan and James were killed. Although Father Erickson had told police that the last time he'd seen Dan was a week before

his death, he got drunk and told Michael that he'd had an argument with Dan the night before the murders. He didn't mention what the argument had been about, but investigators deduced it had likely related to his inappropriate behavior with children. With the reports from Mary Pagel and Michael Swombie, detectives finally had evidence connecting Father Erickson to Dan O'Connell and a clear motive for the crime. They theorized that the priest knew Dan intended to take action against him and had killed him to prevent his crimes from being exposed.

When James Ellison unexpectedly witnessed the murder, Father Erickson killed him as well. The fact that he'd worn civilian clothes, which he thought were beneath him, suggested the crime was planned in advance and he was attempting to avoid detection. Altogether, investigators compiled 700 interviews and 18 boxes of evidence relating to the murders. On August 24, 2005, Hudson Police Chief Richard Trendy submitted all investigative material to the St. Croix County District Attorney, Erick Johnson, so that he could determine what the next step would be.

The available options included a coroner's inquest known as a John Doe hearing, further investigation or leaving the case as it stood. Before announcing his decision, Mr Johnson met with Dan O'Connell and James Ellison's loved ones to brief them on the evidence that had been accumulated. Both families were adamant that the evidence be heard in court, so Mr Johnson concluded that a John Doe hearing be held. In response, an attorney representing Father Erickson's parents released a statement on their behalf, claiming that the evidence was weak and would never be enough for a jury

to convict their son if he was still alive. Dan O'Connell's father Tom had a different reaction, telling the media that the entire case made sense to him now that he'd viewed the evidence. He stated, I am sure justice will come. It is hard for anyone to look at the fact that there is a priest involved. The John Doe hearing commenced in the St Croix County Court on Monday, October 3, 2005, and was presided over by Judge Erick Lundell.

It was closed to the public, but 15 members of Dan and James's family were able to attend, as were several reporters. A two-page biography of Father Erickson's life was presented to the court, detailing his history of antisocial, and at times, criminal behavior. It was revealed that Father Erickson not only exhibited a pattern of sexual misconduct from an early age, but that the church had been aware of this before he was ordained. While studying at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Erickson had openly admitted that his first sexual encounter occurred when he was just six years old, and had involved

a four-year-old male cousin. In 1994, while Erickson was still attending the seminary, the Diocese of Superior was also informed of the incident at the campground, where Erickson had assaulted the 14-year-old boy two years earlier. This led Bishop Raphael Fliss to remove Erickson from all duties that had him associating with young people, and referred him for a psychiatric evaluation focused on his sexual interests. A psychiatrist named Dr George Planofsky met with Erickson, and concluded that he had no significant reservations regarding him joining the priesthood.

Father Erickson was consequently moved to the St Paul's Seminary in Minnesota, but the admissions committee were concerned about his history, and referred him to psychologist Dr Mark Hanson for another evaluation. Dr Hanson was troubled by Erickson's failure to reflect clearly on these past incidents, and reported having serious reservations about him. As this finding conflicted with Dr Planofsky's assessment, the seminary requested a third evaluation be conducted by another psychologist. This time, Dr J McNamara concluded that Erickson's behavior was within normal limits, and that

he didn't exhibit predatory or manipulative traits. Dr McNamara added that his only concern was that, quote, Erickson might be vulnerable to women who would make romantic or affectionate initiatives with him. Thomas Smith, the boy who Father Erickson had abused during his time at St Patrick's Parish, also gave evidence at the hearing about his experiences with the priest. The court heard how prior to his suicide, Father Erickson had given detectives inconsistent answers and was unable to provide a clear alibi for the time of the murders.

He had claimed that he left St Patrick's Church at 1.30pm to buy cigars, but a church goer named Betty Caruso gave evidence that contradicted this claim. Betty lived across the street from St Patrick's, and Father Erickson sometimes visited her house to escape the frequent phone calls made to the rectory. At around 11.15am on the day of the murders, Father Erickson had asked Betty if he could nap on her couch that afternoon, which she agreed to. She later went out, returning home at approximately 1.45pm, to find Father Erickson seemingly asleep on her couch, dressed in his usual priestly garb.

Mary Pagel, the bus driver who had met with Dan O'Connell on the day of his murder, told the court what Dan had said to her, and also described having seen Father Erickson leave the rectory at about 11.15am wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Deacon Russell Lundgren also testified that Father Erickson had confessed to committing the murders shortly after police began investigating him. Throughout the course of the hearing, no physical evidence supporting the case was submitted. Although investigators had previously examined Father Erickson's firearm collection, they never found the gun that killed Dan and James.

It only took one day for Judge Lundgren to rule that Father Ryan Erickson had most likely committed two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, as well as felony sexual assault. He told the court, On a scale of 1 to 10, I would consider it a 10. It is a very strong case of circumstantial evidence. Father Erickson's parents remained convinced that the case against their son was weak and later claimed that he had been framed. But the families of the victims were pleased with the findings.

Throughout the hearing, James Ellison's mother, Sally, had been crocheting a baby blanket for her expected grandson, whose due date was the same as James' birthday. At the end of the day, she remarked, There are so many emotions at a time like this. We are just glad this is done and we can move on. It will never go away, because we think about James all the time. When asked how she felt about the fact a priest was responsible for her son's murder, Sally replied,

Only God is without sin. He is not God. He is a human being. Dan O'Connell's wife Jenny, who Father Erickson had visited and comforted on the afternoon of the murders, admitted that her Catholic faith had been destroyed by the crime. She was particularly distraught that Father Erickson had officiated a dance funeral and at a church event for her son, noting that she felt betrayed and invaded by the priest. Dan's brother Mike insisted that Father Erickson didn't represent the church as a whole, stating,

I think God is as sad as everyone today. Within four days of the hearing's conclusion, three more individuals contacted police claiming they had been sexually assaulted by Father Erickson. One survivor had been on the high school wrestling team with Erickson and was aged 15 when Erickson was 17 years old. One day, Erickson invited the younger boy to his home, where they drank alcohol and watched pornography together before falling asleep. The boy later woke to Erickson groping his genitals.

He left immediately and they never spoke again. Although the murder investigation was closed, Hudson Police Chief Richard Trendy said he and his team welcomed any new information and would refer the sexual assault reports to the relevant jurisdictions. The issue of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests was first publicized in 1985, before receiving further attention around the world throughout the 1990s. In 2002, the same year that Dan O'Connell and James Ellison were murdered, the Boston Globe newspaper published a series of articles exposing hundreds of cases of abuse within

the church. Their research indicated that more than 800 people had accused 248 priests based within the Boston Archdiocese of abusing them as children. When these allegations were made public, members of the community were outraged to learn that many of the accused were still practicing as priests. There was also evidence to indicate that the church hierarchy had concealed these crimes by failing to refer reports of abuse to law enforcement. When offenders were reported by a victim or their parents, bishops often didn't remove

them from the priesthood, but instead moved them to new parishes, where they would have access to other children. In the wake of the Boston Globe Exposé, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted a policy requiring all dioceses to establish boards separate from the church administration to review charges of clergy sexual misconduct. When the findings from the hearing into the murders of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison were made public, survivors of clergy abuse expressed their dismay that Father Erickson had been ordained, despite what church officials knew about him.

Peter Isley, the Midwest coordinator of the survivor's network of those abused by priests, said the case raised serious questions about the church's supposed reforms. Peter asked, quote, Where was the review board that was supposed to investigate reports of sexual abuse by priests? Why didn't they review this file? He described to Dan O'Connell as a hero, stating, He tried to help people like us.

He needs to be honored by cleaning up what is going on. In response, several church representatives released statements condemning Father Erickson as a troubled individual who had concealed his true nature. Reverend Jim Brinkman, who had supervised Erickson at Minnesota's St. Paul's Seminary between 1996 and 2000, said, Erickson was a smart man who knew how to conceal the secrets of his life and control how others perceived him. Bishop Raphael Fliss, who governed the diocese that all of Father Erickson's churches fell

under, was accused of mishandling allegations of clergy sexual abuse. He had known of the accusations against Father Erickson prior to his being ordained, and was also alleged to have helped conceal the crimes of another priest who abused up to 200 deaf children at a boarding school in Milwaukee. In the wake of the John Doe hearing into Dan and to James' murders, Bishop Fliss released a statement that read in part, I know that ultimate responsibility for much of what has taken place rests upon my shoulders. While I am truly sorry for not doing more to find out what happened, I must apologize

to the entire diocesan family and to the people of northern Wisconsin for these tragedies. I know the Lord is willing to forgive. I hope you will find it in your hearts to do the same. Bishop Fliss promised to reach out to Dan and to James' loved ones, but made no attempt to contact either family. On November 1, 2005, the Fond du Lac Commonwealth reporter newspaper revealed that both the O'Connell and Ellison families had retained an attorney who was known for representing victims of sex abuse in lawsuits against religious organizations.

The families told the newspaper that they believed the murders could have been prevented had the Catholic Church properly disciplined Ericsson when they first learned of him abusing minors. They wanted church leaders to be held accountable for their failures and called for further reforms to prevent future sexual abuse cases. That afternoon, Bishop Fliss was filmed for the television news as he read a statement to the parishioners of St Mary's Church in Hurley. He told the congregation that he should have paid more attention to the red flags raised

by Father Ericsson's conduct and apologized for not listening to those who had questioned Ericsson's priesthood when he divided the Catholic community of Hudson. The O'Connell family were unhappy with this response. The following day, Dan's sister, Kathy, said, Bishop Raphael Fliss' purported apology delivered last night not to us personally or directly, but only to a TV camera, was way too little, way too late. In fact, it was a joke and a slap in the face. Dan's mother Janet requested a meeting with Bishop Fliss, stressing that action was needed.

She stated, I don't expect an apology. I expect a confession. I want to know what Bishop Fliss did and why he did it. If he knew what we think he knew, he should be reprimanded for what he did. And if he slips away, that's on his conscience. Two weeks later, members of the O'Connell and Ellison families flew to Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were holding their annual meeting.

In an effort to speak with church leaders, family members stood outside the hotel where the conference was taking place, holding photographs of Dan and James. Sally Ellison told a reporter from the Washington Post, Because of their negligence, my son is dead. I think that's a pretty good reason for them to listen to me. Don't you? The bishops refused to meet with the families, prompting their attorney, Jeff Anderson, to comment. There are over 200 bishops in there, and they can't find one to listen to us.

On January 15, 2006, just over three months after the John Doe hearing, Bishop Fliss finally addressed the congregation at St. Patrick's Church in Hudson. 700 people attended, with the O'Connell and Ellison families sitting in the front pews. Bishop Fliss apologized and promised systemic changes in the way the church handled sexual abuse cases, including better evaluation of priests and improved communication with parishes. When one parishner asked why their concerns about Father Erickson's conduct as a priest weren't taken seriously, Bishop Fliss replied, I think I got more letters praising him than condemning him.

Fliss noted that he should have appointed a group to look into the matter more closely. The following month, the O'Connell family met Bishop Fliss to discuss a five-point plan they had drafted for the church to reform its handling of sexual abuse. They described the meeting as a good first step, but despite their high hopes, no further action was taken. In August 2006, the O'Connell's filed a civil lawsuit against 194 bishops throughout the country, seeking the disclosure of names and locations of clergy members accused of molesting children.

By doing so, Jenner O'Connell said that the family was finishing a job Dan started. Her husband Tom clarified to the media, quote, We're not looking for money, we're looking for people. The Ellison family declined to join the suit on account of not being Catholic and thus feeling like they lacked credibility in the matter. However, in December 2006, they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the diocese, seeking an unspecified amount of damages which they hoped to use to start a foundation in James's name.

Their plan for the foundation was to fund programs to prevent child sexual abuse and provide support to survivors. One year later, on December 28, 2007, Judge Eugene Harrington threw out the O'Connell's civil lawsuit. He ruled that the diocese couldn't be forced to reveal information about how the church dealt with sex abuse by priests as it violated the First Amendment and had no basis under Wisconsin law. Dan's brother Tom expressed his disappointment at the decision, asking,

Where does church and state, the First Amendment, protect a molester? Nine months later, on September 23, 2008, the Ellison's wrongful death lawsuit was also dismissed. Judge Paul Lentz deemed it too remote that the diocese would have had reason to believe that Father Erickson would murder someone, even if they'd known about his violent tendencies and possession of child abuse material. Judge Lentz concluded the diocese couldn't have foreseen that murder would follow as a result.

Over the years that followed, James's parents, Sally and Carsten, did their best to move forward with their lives. Approximately nine years after their son's murder, they took a trip to Ireland and participated in a Catholic Mass, which they found to be especially healing. They also shared their story with grief support groups and other organizations. Just after the 10th anniversary of James's death, Sally told a reporter from the Leader Telegram, quote, There will always be a hole where James should be in our lives, but you can't shut yourself

off. We've learned over the years that we have been able to help others deal with tragedies. Dan's wife Jenny and the couple's two children had left the Catholic Church following the murders and Jenny later started working as a clerk for the Hudson Police Department. Though the pain of Dan's loss stayed with her, she took comfort in the fact that her husband made such a positive impact on his community. Our children are proud of who they are, and they like that people remember their father so well.

Dan's mother Janet passed away in 2017, followed by his father Tom in 2019. Dan's brother Mike still operates the O'Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson, where a permanent garden memorial to Dan has been planted out the front. An arbor marks its entrance, and a salty cross surrounded by flowers lies at its centre. For those who knew Dan, the memorial provides some comfort, with one friend telling the O'Connell's, It is nice to drive by the funeral home and smile, rather than cry. Relishes crafted by Dan's loved ones form a border around the garden, and the prayer

of St Francis of Assisi is engraved on a limestone rock. The prayer reads, in part, Where there is hatred, let me so love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, blood. And where there is sadness, joy.