1 00:00:07,207 --> 00:00:08,374 PETTEE: There was a clear bullet hole 2 00:00:08,475 --> 00:00:10,876 on the right side of his temple. 3 00:00:10,977 --> 00:00:12,778 Next to him is that unknown person, 4 00:00:12,879 --> 00:00:15,614 and I can just see the blood pouring out of his head. 5 00:00:15,715 --> 00:00:17,483 Just the worst thing I've ever seen. 6 00:00:17,584 --> 00:00:19,284 NARRATOR: A shocking double murder 7 00:00:19,386 --> 00:00:21,286 in a small town funeral home. 8 00:00:21,388 --> 00:00:23,789 It had been 25 years since we had a homicide. 9 00:00:23,890 --> 00:00:25,424 This was something totally new to us. 10 00:00:25,525 --> 00:00:27,459 We weren't expecting it. 11 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,930 Was the person paranoid and found an affair was going on? 12 00:00:32,032 --> 00:00:33,365 NARRATOR: A list of suspects 13 00:00:33,433 --> 00:00:35,534 both radical and unusual. 14 00:00:35,635 --> 00:00:38,103 Sometimes people have very extreme beliefs, 15 00:00:38,204 --> 00:00:39,905 and that can lead to violence. 16 00:00:40,006 --> 00:00:42,474 In the letter that they sent out, they threatened death. 17 00:00:42,575 --> 00:00:44,877 NARRATOR: The truth will be revealed. 18 00:00:44,978 --> 00:00:46,745 The only person that would know this information 19 00:00:46,846 --> 00:00:49,048 is the shooter -- That is our killer. 20 00:00:49,149 --> 00:00:50,215 [gunshot blasts] 21 00:00:53,153 --> 00:00:54,820 NARRATOR: Every day in North America, 22 00:00:54,921 --> 00:00:57,523 dozens of people are murdered. 23 00:00:57,624 --> 00:00:59,992 The key to solving the toughest of these homicides 24 00:01:00,093 --> 00:01:04,163 lies in the final 24 hours of the victim's life. 25 00:01:04,264 --> 00:01:05,564 To crack the case, 26 00:01:05,665 --> 00:01:09,268 detectives must reconstruct that critical timeline, 27 00:01:09,369 --> 00:01:11,970 the minutes and hours containing evidence 28 00:01:12,072 --> 00:01:14,139 that can help unlock the mystery 29 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:15,174 and catch the killer. 30 00:01:15,275 --> 00:01:22,915 ♪♪ 31 00:01:23,016 --> 00:01:25,651 ♪♪ 32 00:01:25,752 --> 00:01:27,986 Hudson, Wisconsin -- a small, 33 00:01:28,088 --> 00:01:31,256 sleepy town on the western edge of the state bordering 34 00:01:31,357 --> 00:01:32,891 the scenic St. Croix River. 35 00:01:35,762 --> 00:01:38,097 Hudson's a small bedroom community. 36 00:01:38,198 --> 00:01:41,867 It's a kind of a town where everybody knows everybody. 37 00:01:41,968 --> 00:01:44,803 People are comfortable with leaving their cars unlocked, 38 00:01:44,904 --> 00:01:47,606 they're comfortable leaving their doors open. 39 00:01:47,707 --> 00:01:51,110 NARRATOR: Hudson is also home to the annual Pepper Fest. 40 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:58,083 In the 1950s, there was a large Italian population, 41 00:01:58,184 --> 00:02:02,421 and that was the origin of the Pepper Fest. 42 00:02:02,522 --> 00:02:04,656 There's a pepper eating contest, 43 00:02:04,757 --> 00:02:06,892 a pound of peppers, and if you can do it about 10 to 44 00:02:06,993 --> 00:02:09,761 15 seconds, you're doing pretty good. 45 00:02:09,863 --> 00:02:11,396 There's a Pepper Rest royalty. 46 00:02:11,498 --> 00:02:14,266 They have a queen, several princesses, and a king. 47 00:02:18,872 --> 00:02:21,440 NARRATOR: But on a cold February afternoon, 48 00:02:21,541 --> 00:02:24,810 police received a 911 call that shatters the innocence of 49 00:02:24,911 --> 00:02:26,879 this close-knit community forever. 50 00:02:31,217 --> 00:02:33,652 I'll never forget the 911 call. 51 00:02:33,753 --> 00:02:36,755 It came in at about 1:40 p.m., 52 00:02:36,856 --> 00:02:38,857 and the dispatcher said that there was 53 00:02:38,958 --> 00:02:40,826 a shooting at the O'Connell funeral home. 54 00:02:43,296 --> 00:02:45,164 There are two bodies that have been shot. 55 00:02:50,436 --> 00:02:52,938 NARRATOR: The response from law enforcement is swift. 56 00:02:53,039 --> 00:02:55,073 Police, ambulances, helicopters, 57 00:02:55,175 --> 00:02:59,077 and a SWAT team all descend on the funeral home. 58 00:02:59,179 --> 00:03:02,147 So we had all hands on deck coming to assess, because 59 00:03:02,248 --> 00:03:04,016 this is a typical that nobody ever heard 60 00:03:04,117 --> 00:03:05,884 over the police radio. 61 00:03:05,985 --> 00:03:09,154 It had been 25 years since we had a homicide in Hudson. 62 00:03:09,255 --> 00:03:11,123 This was something totally new to us. 63 00:03:11,224 --> 00:03:12,191 We weren't expecting it. 64 00:03:14,694 --> 00:03:17,462 NARRATOR: Detectives find the bodies of 39-year-old 65 00:03:17,564 --> 00:03:20,032 Dan O'Connell, the funeral home director, 66 00:03:20,133 --> 00:03:23,268 and 22-year-old James Ellison, his intern. 67 00:03:25,271 --> 00:03:27,906 Dan O'Connell was one of the most friendly, 68 00:03:28,007 --> 00:03:30,642 outgoing, energetic, 69 00:03:30,743 --> 00:03:33,445 loving people you could ever meet. 70 00:03:33,546 --> 00:03:35,514 He was involved in everything. 71 00:03:35,615 --> 00:03:38,517 He was a former North Hudson Pepper King. 72 00:03:38,618 --> 00:03:40,452 Everybody loved Dan O'Connell. 73 00:03:40,553 --> 00:03:43,055 He was just a stellar individual. 74 00:03:45,158 --> 00:03:48,560 JENNIE: Dan was my soul mate, love of my life. 75 00:03:48,661 --> 00:03:51,163 We were the best of friends. 76 00:03:51,264 --> 00:03:55,667 Besides being lifelong partners and parents, 77 00:03:55,768 --> 00:03:57,135 he was just always compassionate. 78 00:03:58,638 --> 00:04:00,539 He could make everybody feel comfortable. 79 00:04:01,975 --> 00:04:04,276 PETTEE: James Ellison was a 22-year-old student 80 00:04:04,377 --> 00:04:07,579 who always dreamed about being the funeral director. 81 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:09,181 James had a longtime girlfriend, 82 00:04:09,282 --> 00:04:10,315 high school sweetheart, 83 00:04:10,416 --> 00:04:12,017 and they had planned on getting married. 84 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,089 And he picked O'Connell funeral home because he thought, "Hey, 85 00:04:17,190 --> 00:04:18,991 I want to learn from the best." 86 00:04:19,092 --> 00:04:21,760 NARRATOR: Tasked with solving the brutal double homicide 87 00:04:21,861 --> 00:04:23,929 of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison 88 00:04:24,030 --> 00:04:26,665 is rookie detective Sean Pettee. 89 00:04:26,766 --> 00:04:28,634 PETTEE: You have to prepare yourself mentally. 90 00:04:28,735 --> 00:04:29,668 How am I gonna... 91 00:04:31,070 --> 00:04:34,273 balance my emotions with what I need to get done? 92 00:04:34,407 --> 00:04:36,708 In my mind, this is a close, personal friend 93 00:04:36,809 --> 00:04:38,744 that's murdered. 94 00:04:38,845 --> 00:04:41,179 It's time to take a deep breath and look 95 00:04:41,281 --> 00:04:42,714 at the big picture. 96 00:04:42,815 --> 00:04:45,517 I have to fix this somehow. 97 00:04:45,618 --> 00:04:46,618 I owe the family. 98 00:04:49,188 --> 00:04:51,223 NARRATOR: Detectives begin their investigation 99 00:04:51,324 --> 00:04:53,425 by surveying the crime scene. 100 00:04:53,526 --> 00:04:56,028 PETTEE: Dan has an obvious bullet hole to his head, 101 00:04:57,430 --> 00:05:02,167 and next to him is James hunched over, and he's bleeding, 102 00:05:02,268 --> 00:05:04,403 and I can just see the blood pouring out of his head, 103 00:05:05,838 --> 00:05:07,639 obviously deceased, as well. 104 00:05:07,740 --> 00:05:09,508 Both of them, their colors were gone. 105 00:05:12,512 --> 00:05:14,179 I've seen a lot of death. 106 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:17,115 I've seen a lot of suicides. 107 00:05:17,216 --> 00:05:21,086 I've seen a lot of gunshot wounds, but this was different. 108 00:05:23,923 --> 00:05:26,425 Investigators look for clues to help establish 109 00:05:26,526 --> 00:05:28,927 the time of death and a possible motive. 110 00:05:30,797 --> 00:05:32,998 Because the blood was still running down the walls, 111 00:05:33,099 --> 00:05:35,634 we knew that this was a relatively fresh crime. 112 00:05:37,470 --> 00:05:41,139 We received the call at 1:40 p.m., and we determined 113 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,809 that it probably happened within the past two hours, 114 00:05:43,910 --> 00:05:46,712 so somewhere between 11:40 a.m. 115 00:05:46,813 --> 00:05:47,879 and 1:40 p.m. 116 00:05:50,917 --> 00:05:52,818 The first question I asked myself was, 117 00:05:52,919 --> 00:05:54,286 is this a robbery that went bad? 118 00:05:56,222 --> 00:05:59,324 But the office was basically undisturbed. 119 00:05:59,425 --> 00:06:01,960 The landline was still in the cradle. 120 00:06:02,061 --> 00:06:04,896 There was nothing that appeared out of place in there, 121 00:06:04,997 --> 00:06:07,165 no signs of a struggle. 122 00:06:07,266 --> 00:06:09,234 And James clearly had his wallet in 123 00:06:09,335 --> 00:06:12,070 his left pocket, it was in plain view. 124 00:06:12,171 --> 00:06:14,139 So in my mind, I'm thinking this 125 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,242 is something far beyond a robbery gone bad. 126 00:06:20,713 --> 00:06:22,647 The bullets were recovered 127 00:06:22,749 --> 00:06:24,950 and sent to a crime lab, 128 00:06:25,051 --> 00:06:27,886 and we determined that they came from a nine-millimeter weapon. 129 00:06:29,856 --> 00:06:33,992 The shell casings that were phoned on the ground actually 130 00:06:34,093 --> 00:06:35,794 told us a lot about the crime scene. 131 00:06:38,197 --> 00:06:40,265 We believed that our killer 132 00:06:40,366 --> 00:06:43,235 walked into the office, 133 00:06:43,336 --> 00:06:45,570 walked right over to the desk, 134 00:06:45,671 --> 00:06:48,006 and as Dan is pushing up, 135 00:06:48,107 --> 00:06:49,741 getting up off the chair, 136 00:06:49,842 --> 00:06:51,977 probably gonna say, "Now, wait a minute." 137 00:06:52,078 --> 00:06:54,079 Suspect's got a gun and fires one... 138 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:56,415 [gunshot blasts] 139 00:06:56,516 --> 00:06:57,616 And hits him right in the head. 140 00:07:01,521 --> 00:07:03,321 It appeared that James 141 00:07:03,423 --> 00:07:05,157 walked in, 142 00:07:06,559 --> 00:07:08,693 saw Dan deceased, 143 00:07:08,795 --> 00:07:11,563 and started walking behind the desk over to see him. 144 00:07:11,664 --> 00:07:12,831 [gunshot blasts] 145 00:07:12,932 --> 00:07:14,866 Then all the sudden, he hears a gunshot, 146 00:07:14,967 --> 00:07:18,303 and he dropped his papers, and went into a defensive mode. 147 00:07:19,672 --> 00:07:21,339 [gunshot blasts] 148 00:07:21,441 --> 00:07:24,676 And that's when the third shot came, hit him in 149 00:07:24,777 --> 00:07:27,012 the pinky, went through his head, 150 00:07:27,113 --> 00:07:28,713 and out his head and into the wall. 151 00:07:30,483 --> 00:07:32,984 So now we believe that Dan was shot first 152 00:07:34,454 --> 00:07:37,289 and was most likely the original target. 153 00:07:37,390 --> 00:07:41,226 James just happened to be an innocent bystander, 154 00:07:41,327 --> 00:07:44,963 and he had to be killed, because he was a witness. 155 00:07:45,064 --> 00:07:47,065 Whoever did this went right in with 156 00:07:47,166 --> 00:07:50,068 the sole purpose that I'm gonna kill Dan. 157 00:07:50,169 --> 00:07:52,637 He didn't have a chance to defend himself. 158 00:07:52,738 --> 00:07:55,407 He didn't have a chance to say anything. 159 00:07:55,508 --> 00:07:58,710 He just was murdered, point blank. 160 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:03,682 NARRATOR: To catch Dan's killer, detectives will need to 161 00:08:03,783 --> 00:08:06,618 unravel the final 24 hours of his life. 162 00:08:11,591 --> 00:08:14,292 Now, I'm looking at Dan and saying, "Okay, wait a minute. 163 00:08:14,393 --> 00:08:15,527 What did he do wrong?" 164 00:08:17,430 --> 00:08:19,931 Is somebody that angry that they're gonna kill him? 165 00:08:21,801 --> 00:08:24,102 NARRATOR: The first person detectives look at 166 00:08:24,203 --> 00:08:26,137 is Dan's widow, Jennie. 167 00:08:27,807 --> 00:08:30,275 PETTEE: One of the toughest things for me is to have 168 00:08:30,376 --> 00:08:32,611 to go and ask a lot of the hard questions. 169 00:08:34,914 --> 00:08:37,849 I know I have to get personal with Jennie. 170 00:08:37,950 --> 00:08:39,885 I need to find out what's going on. 171 00:08:39,986 --> 00:08:43,421 What do you know? Are you involved? 172 00:08:43,523 --> 00:08:45,724 Everyone knows that the first person you think of 173 00:08:45,825 --> 00:08:48,727 is the spouse, you know, that's who did it. 174 00:08:48,828 --> 00:08:52,097 And so I knew that I was number-one suspect. 175 00:08:53,966 --> 00:08:57,269 PETTEE: I had to ask Jennie, was there any extramarital affairs? 176 00:08:57,370 --> 00:08:59,304 And I assured her that I wasn't 177 00:08:59,405 --> 00:09:01,373 gonna pass judgment on either one of them. 178 00:09:01,474 --> 00:09:03,642 But we had to find out. 179 00:09:05,611 --> 00:09:09,514 She said they were happily married, in love. 180 00:09:09,615 --> 00:09:13,418 Then I asked her about the life insurance policies. 181 00:09:13,519 --> 00:09:16,821 Is she gonna benefit hugely with Dan being gone? 182 00:09:18,791 --> 00:09:20,926 Is there a motive for her to want him dead? 183 00:09:22,728 --> 00:09:26,031 People do things for money. Money talks. 184 00:09:26,132 --> 00:09:28,233 It's the power of greed. 185 00:09:28,334 --> 00:09:31,136 But she said that life insurance policy 186 00:09:31,237 --> 00:09:33,538 was not an extensive amount, 187 00:09:33,639 --> 00:09:35,707 nor was it to be paid out immediately. 188 00:09:37,176 --> 00:09:40,812 So we didn't believe it was a life insurance issue. 189 00:09:42,515 --> 00:09:45,016 NARRATOR: Detectives ask Jennie where she was during 190 00:09:45,117 --> 00:09:47,686 the time they believe Dan and James were killed. 191 00:09:47,787 --> 00:09:50,655 This starts the timeline for me. 192 00:09:52,258 --> 00:09:54,426 Jennie said that about 7:40 a.m., 193 00:09:54,527 --> 00:09:56,861 Dan left for a meeting in Baldwin, Wisconsin. 194 00:09:58,264 --> 00:09:59,764 Jennie stayed home until she brought 195 00:09:59,865 --> 00:10:03,435 the kids to school, about eight o'clock, 8:15. 196 00:10:03,536 --> 00:10:05,637 Because her son's birthday was coming up, 197 00:10:05,738 --> 00:10:09,240 she spent the entire morning and the afternoon preparing 198 00:10:09,342 --> 00:10:11,676 the house for the guests for the birthday party. 199 00:10:11,777 --> 00:10:13,345 [phone ringing] 200 00:10:13,446 --> 00:10:16,514 She told me that she received a phone call from a friend 201 00:10:16,616 --> 00:10:19,284 advising her that there was some type of incident at 202 00:10:19,385 --> 00:10:20,852 the funeral home. 203 00:10:20,953 --> 00:10:23,088 She immediately stopped what she was doing 204 00:10:23,189 --> 00:10:24,789 and drove directly to the funeral home. 205 00:10:27,159 --> 00:10:29,127 We check Jennie's alibi, 206 00:10:29,228 --> 00:10:31,763 and it was confirmed by friends and neighbors 207 00:10:31,864 --> 00:10:34,332 that she was where she said she was. 208 00:10:34,433 --> 00:10:37,035 NARRATOR: With Jennie ruled out as a suspect, 209 00:10:37,136 --> 00:10:39,170 Detectives ask if she knows of anyone 210 00:10:39,271 --> 00:10:41,506 who would want to hurt Dan. 211 00:10:41,607 --> 00:10:45,610 I racked my brains, because nobody disliked him. 212 00:10:45,711 --> 00:10:47,612 Nobody talked bad about him. 213 00:10:47,713 --> 00:10:49,347 I had no scenarios going through my head. 214 00:10:49,448 --> 00:10:50,448 I had no clue. 215 00:10:50,549 --> 00:10:53,418 NARRATOR: Working to fill out Dan's timeline, 216 00:10:53,519 --> 00:10:56,087 detectives asked Jennie where Dan was going when he left 217 00:10:56,188 --> 00:10:58,156 the house the morning of his death. 218 00:10:58,257 --> 00:10:59,491 She tells them he was headed to 219 00:10:59,592 --> 00:11:02,460 a meeting with his business partner and brother, Mike. 220 00:11:05,231 --> 00:11:08,166 Now that we've cleared Jennie, we have take a look at Mike. 221 00:11:10,736 --> 00:11:12,671 Mike is operating a funeral home in Baldwin. 222 00:11:14,473 --> 00:11:16,708 Dan's operating one in Hudson. 223 00:11:16,809 --> 00:11:18,777 Are they arguing? Are they complaining? 224 00:11:18,878 --> 00:11:21,012 Is there any kind of a hardship between the two of them? 225 00:11:24,550 --> 00:11:28,253 Mike agrees to meet in my office, and I ask him, 226 00:11:28,354 --> 00:11:31,456 "Is there any kind of problems between you guys?" 227 00:11:31,557 --> 00:11:33,992 Mike informed me that both funeral homes 228 00:11:34,093 --> 00:11:35,927 were doing very well. 229 00:11:36,028 --> 00:11:40,098 There was no financial hardships on either Dan or Mike. 230 00:11:40,199 --> 00:11:42,167 In fact, knowing both of them, 231 00:11:42,268 --> 00:11:45,704 you couldn't find a closer combination of brothers there. 232 00:11:45,805 --> 00:11:47,338 Those two were as tight as a drum. 233 00:11:48,607 --> 00:11:50,575 NARRATOR: Detectives ask Mike where he was during 234 00:11:50,676 --> 00:11:54,245 the critical time they believe Dan and James were killed. 235 00:11:54,346 --> 00:11:56,648 Mike and Dan were together between 236 00:11:56,782 --> 00:11:58,616 eight o'clock in the morning and nine. 237 00:11:58,718 --> 00:12:01,152 Mike did subsequently leave to run some errands 238 00:12:01,253 --> 00:12:03,288 in Hudson, and Mike got back to 239 00:12:03,389 --> 00:12:05,724 the funeral home in Baldwin about 11:30 a.m., 240 00:12:05,825 --> 00:12:08,093 which was confirmed by his secretary. 241 00:12:08,194 --> 00:12:09,661 We know that Mike stayed 242 00:12:09,762 --> 00:12:13,631 at the funeral home from 11:30 until the time he was notified 243 00:12:13,733 --> 00:12:15,633 of the shooting. 244 00:12:15,735 --> 00:12:18,269 NARRATOR: With Mike ruled out as a person of interest, 245 00:12:18,370 --> 00:12:20,405 detectives turn back to the crime scene, 246 00:12:20,506 --> 00:12:22,841 looking for new clues. 247 00:12:22,942 --> 00:12:25,543 PETTEE: We find a calendar in the office. 248 00:12:26,912 --> 00:12:30,949 And what was unique about it was there was a appointment 249 00:12:31,050 --> 00:12:33,952 at one o'clock that Dan had, 250 00:12:34,053 --> 00:12:37,122 for whatever reason, bumped back to two o'clock. 251 00:12:38,891 --> 00:12:42,460 So what is so important that he had to bump that back? 252 00:12:44,163 --> 00:12:47,665 Clearly, he has another meeting with somebody that 253 00:12:47,767 --> 00:12:49,567 he has to get taken care of right away. 254 00:12:51,003 --> 00:12:54,239 Now we need to figure out who Dan was meeting 255 00:12:54,340 --> 00:12:58,676 at one o'clock, because that is more than likely our killer. 256 00:13:09,722 --> 00:13:11,990 NARRATOR: Detectives are working the theory that the person 257 00:13:12,091 --> 00:13:14,793 Dan O'Connell had a 1 p.m. appointment with on 258 00:13:14,894 --> 00:13:17,462 the day he was murdered could be his killer. 259 00:13:17,563 --> 00:13:18,630 [gunshot blasts] 260 00:13:18,731 --> 00:13:21,132 In an attempt to find out who that is, 261 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:22,634 they interview his colleagues. 262 00:13:26,806 --> 00:13:30,975 Dan and the family had a close relationship with St. Pat's, 263 00:13:31,043 --> 00:13:32,710 the Catholic Church in Hudson. 264 00:13:35,815 --> 00:13:40,051 Father Ryan Erickson was one of the priests at St. Pat's, 265 00:13:40,152 --> 00:13:41,853 and because of the funeral home business, 266 00:13:41,954 --> 00:13:44,589 they had a working and personal relationship 267 00:13:44,690 --> 00:13:46,057 with Ryan Erickson. 268 00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:49,494 NARRATOR: Investigators hope that Father Erickson 269 00:13:49,595 --> 00:13:51,229 can help them figure out who Dan's 270 00:13:51,330 --> 00:13:53,231 1 p.m. appointment was with. 271 00:13:54,700 --> 00:13:56,868 Father Erickson knew Dan very well. 272 00:13:56,969 --> 00:13:59,137 He considered him a friend. 273 00:13:59,238 --> 00:14:01,573 They worked a lot of funerals together. 274 00:14:01,674 --> 00:14:05,476 I asked him, "Hey, what do you think happened? 275 00:14:05,578 --> 00:14:07,278 Tell me what you know." 276 00:14:21,060 --> 00:14:23,328 NARRATOR: Father Erickson suggests that Dan might 277 00:14:23,429 --> 00:14:26,030 be having an affair with his secretary, Bonnie. 278 00:14:27,933 --> 00:14:29,834 PETTEE: Dan and Bonnie worked very close together. 279 00:14:29,935 --> 00:14:31,636 They did a lot together. 280 00:14:31,737 --> 00:14:34,505 There were conferences that the two had to attend. 281 00:14:34,607 --> 00:14:37,842 So we need to look, 282 00:14:37,943 --> 00:14:39,944 "Hey, is there an affair going on here? 283 00:14:40,045 --> 00:14:43,481 "Could Bonnie's husband, Duane, be involved? 284 00:14:43,582 --> 00:14:44,716 Did he find something out?" 285 00:14:50,522 --> 00:14:52,423 NARRATOR: Working the theory that Dan O'Connell 286 00:14:52,524 --> 00:14:54,893 may have been killed by a jealous husband, 287 00:14:54,994 --> 00:14:57,862 detectives bring Duane down to the station for questioning. 288 00:14:58,998 --> 00:15:01,766 PETTEE: Duane was standoffish. 289 00:15:01,867 --> 00:15:03,801 It appeared to me that he was hiding something, 290 00:15:03,903 --> 00:15:05,937 that he knew more. 291 00:15:06,038 --> 00:15:09,340 I asked Duane if he was a jealous husband. 292 00:15:09,475 --> 00:15:12,043 He said he did not like the fact that 293 00:15:12,144 --> 00:15:15,380 Bonnie had to go to these events with Dan. 294 00:15:15,481 --> 00:15:18,249 He thought, "You know what? Dan, go by yourself." 295 00:15:18,350 --> 00:15:19,684 "She needs to be home with the family, 296 00:15:19,785 --> 00:15:21,352 with the kids, with me." 297 00:15:23,022 --> 00:15:24,455 So he had a little bit of jealousy 298 00:15:24,556 --> 00:15:27,458 that she was going on these events with Dan. 299 00:15:28,994 --> 00:15:30,628 NARRATOR: Suspicious of Duane, 300 00:15:30,729 --> 00:15:33,564 they ask him for his alibi on the day Dan was killed. 301 00:15:35,601 --> 00:15:36,634 He's a dairy farmer, 302 00:15:38,904 --> 00:15:41,406 and he said, "Just like every other morning, 303 00:15:41,507 --> 00:15:43,741 I get up, and I start milking at 5 a.m." 304 00:15:45,311 --> 00:15:49,113 After he was done milking, he continued doing chores. 305 00:15:49,214 --> 00:15:51,616 About 12 o'clock, he borrowed a friend's 306 00:15:51,717 --> 00:15:54,419 truck to run to a supply store. 307 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:55,887 We were able to confirm 308 00:15:55,988 --> 00:15:58,122 the fact that he did borrow the truck, 309 00:15:58,223 --> 00:16:02,393 and he did return it at approximately 1 o'clock p.m. 310 00:16:04,196 --> 00:16:06,464 NARRATOR: Duane says he then stayed on the farm, because 311 00:16:06,565 --> 00:16:09,434 he had a meeting scheduled there at two o'clock. 312 00:16:09,535 --> 00:16:11,803 So now we know that he dropped the truck off 313 00:16:11,904 --> 00:16:14,672 at one o'clock and had a meeting at two o'clock, 314 00:16:16,141 --> 00:16:18,443 so that gives him a one-hour window to kill Dan. 315 00:16:20,212 --> 00:16:22,380 We know that the homicides occurred somewhere 316 00:16:22,481 --> 00:16:24,082 before 1:40 p.m. 317 00:16:26,418 --> 00:16:29,387 It's 30 minutes from his farm to the funeral home. 318 00:16:31,223 --> 00:16:33,758 It would be almost impossible for 319 00:16:33,859 --> 00:16:36,527 him to drive from Baldwin to Hudson, 320 00:16:36,628 --> 00:16:38,463 kill two people, 321 00:16:38,564 --> 00:16:40,832 get back in his vehicle, and get back in 322 00:16:40,933 --> 00:16:43,735 the timeframe that is basically unaccounted for. 323 00:16:43,836 --> 00:16:45,903 [gunshot blasts] 324 00:16:46,005 --> 00:16:50,842 We now have to rule Duane out, 325 00:16:50,943 --> 00:16:54,412 because of the timeframe. 326 00:16:54,513 --> 00:16:57,015 And now we start over from square one. 327 00:16:57,116 --> 00:16:58,316 Where do we go from here? 328 00:16:59,818 --> 00:17:02,353 We have nothing. Absolutely nothing. 329 00:17:06,959 --> 00:17:09,360 NARRATOR: With the investigation hitting a wall, 330 00:17:09,461 --> 00:17:11,896 detectives examine the victim's phone records 331 00:17:11,997 --> 00:17:13,998 looking for new clues. 332 00:17:14,066 --> 00:17:18,636 We want to get a tighter timeline. 333 00:17:18,737 --> 00:17:21,672 At 1:07, Dan calls an engraving company. 334 00:17:23,642 --> 00:17:25,910 Then, at 1:22, 335 00:17:26,011 --> 00:17:28,379 a call is placed to James's cellphone, 336 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:29,847 but it goes unanswered. 337 00:17:31,650 --> 00:17:34,619 So somewhere between 1:07 and 1:22 338 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:37,955 is what we believe was the time of the crime. 339 00:17:39,758 --> 00:17:41,926 NARRATOR: Having narrowed down Dan's time of death 340 00:17:42,027 --> 00:17:45,463 to between 1:07 and 1:22 p.m., 341 00:17:45,564 --> 00:17:48,266 investigators attend his funeral, looking for new 342 00:17:48,367 --> 00:17:49,967 leads that could point to his killer. 343 00:17:51,637 --> 00:17:53,404 ARNTFIELD: I've always advocated that 344 00:17:53,505 --> 00:17:56,207 police investigators attend the funeral, 345 00:17:56,308 --> 00:18:00,078 discreetly, because a suspect, if they attend the funeral, 346 00:18:00,179 --> 00:18:02,513 and they frequently will, are there to monitor 347 00:18:02,614 --> 00:18:04,182 the investigation. 348 00:18:04,283 --> 00:18:06,751 Often, their behavior will give them away. 349 00:18:06,852 --> 00:18:08,586 They're either too over the top, 350 00:18:08,687 --> 00:18:10,888 or they're too underwhelmed. 351 00:18:10,989 --> 00:18:12,623 Either way, it will stand out, 352 00:18:12,724 --> 00:18:14,759 and it will help you narrow your suspect pool. 353 00:18:17,663 --> 00:18:20,064 The funeral was held in the Catholic church, 354 00:18:20,165 --> 00:18:22,233 and it was standing room only. 355 00:18:24,169 --> 00:18:27,438 Hundreds of people standing outside of the church. 356 00:18:27,539 --> 00:18:30,541 JENNIE: It was just amazing how many people came. 357 00:18:30,642 --> 00:18:34,378 It was just breathtaking that he had touched that many people, 358 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,682 and people -- That people would say, 359 00:18:37,783 --> 00:18:39,417 "You met Dan O'Connell once, 360 00:18:39,518 --> 00:18:41,452 you were his best friend for life." 361 00:18:41,553 --> 00:18:43,521 That's how he made you feel. 362 00:18:43,622 --> 00:18:48,626 So here I am, mourning the loss of my friend, yet still keeping 363 00:18:48,727 --> 00:18:51,929 my eyes and ears open, because this -- this case isn't solved. 364 00:18:52,030 --> 00:18:53,131 We have nobody. 365 00:18:54,633 --> 00:18:59,103 We actually had had undercover officers canvass the area, 366 00:18:59,204 --> 00:19:01,572 and we ran license plate checks on every single 367 00:19:01,673 --> 00:19:05,009 vehicle -- hundreds, hundreds of vehicles. 368 00:19:06,778 --> 00:19:09,981 NARRATOR: But investigators leave the funeral empty-handed. 369 00:19:10,082 --> 00:19:13,284 We have no leads. It's gonna go cold. 370 00:19:13,385 --> 00:19:15,720 And the frustrating part is, 371 00:19:15,821 --> 00:19:17,688 I'm not ready to be done. 372 00:19:17,789 --> 00:19:19,390 But I don't have anywhere else to go. 373 00:19:23,862 --> 00:19:26,697 NARRATOR: As the case stalls, the FBI contacts 374 00:19:26,798 --> 00:19:30,668 the Hudson Police Department with a surprising new lead. 375 00:19:30,769 --> 00:19:33,037 PETTEE: About a month into the investigation, 376 00:19:33,138 --> 00:19:35,773 our department received a call from the FBI stating that there 377 00:19:35,874 --> 00:19:39,544 is a religious group about an hour and 1/2 east of Hudson 378 00:19:39,645 --> 00:19:41,846 called the Rest of Jesus Ministries. 379 00:19:41,947 --> 00:19:43,347 And it's kind of a radical group 380 00:19:43,448 --> 00:19:46,751 that is against the embalming of bodies. 381 00:19:46,852 --> 00:19:49,053 The Rest of Jesus Ministries believed that 382 00:19:49,154 --> 00:19:51,489 the body should be wrapped in a shroud 383 00:19:51,590 --> 00:19:53,057 and shown as-is. 384 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:56,994 NARRATOR: When detectives look into the organization, 385 00:19:57,095 --> 00:19:58,529 they learn something alarming. 386 00:20:00,165 --> 00:20:03,201 ERIC: They sent out over 400 letters to funeral homes 387 00:20:03,302 --> 00:20:05,636 in the community or in the area, 388 00:20:07,673 --> 00:20:10,074 and in the letter, they threaten death. 389 00:20:11,610 --> 00:20:13,811 Based upon that pamphlet, 390 00:20:13,912 --> 00:20:17,081 we looked at it as a possible motive for a killing. 391 00:20:20,185 --> 00:20:21,519 This changes everything. 392 00:20:33,265 --> 00:20:35,833 NARRATOR: Detectives are working a new theory that a religious 393 00:20:35,934 --> 00:20:38,169 cult may have targeted funeral home director 394 00:20:38,270 --> 00:20:41,372 Dan O'Connell for betraying their beliefs. 395 00:20:42,841 --> 00:20:44,709 The letters appeared threatening in nature, 396 00:20:44,810 --> 00:20:46,911 and that is a red flag to me. 397 00:20:48,146 --> 00:20:50,514 WOMAN: Pickling of the body by the draining of the blood 398 00:20:50,616 --> 00:20:54,619 is an abomination to me, and this practice must cease. 399 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,521 Failure to comply will bring 400 00:20:57,623 --> 00:21:00,725 a judgment of much death upon this land. 401 00:21:03,929 --> 00:21:06,430 When I read that letter, I'm thinking this is a radical 402 00:21:06,531 --> 00:21:09,500 group that would do almost anything 403 00:21:09,568 --> 00:21:10,801 to get their point across. 404 00:21:12,337 --> 00:21:15,206 They distributed over 400 pamphlets to various 405 00:21:15,307 --> 00:21:17,108 funeral homes, and our department 406 00:21:17,209 --> 00:21:19,477 wanted to know if the Hudson Funeral Home, 407 00:21:19,578 --> 00:21:20,978 and in particular, Dan O'Connell, 408 00:21:21,079 --> 00:21:25,082 received a letter from the Rest of Jesus Ministries. 409 00:21:25,183 --> 00:21:26,784 NARRATOR: Detectives run a background check 410 00:21:26,885 --> 00:21:29,754 on the group's leader, Kathryn Padilla. 411 00:21:29,855 --> 00:21:32,456 We found out that she had been arrested 412 00:21:32,557 --> 00:21:36,627 twice for disorderly conduct and two counts of stalking. 413 00:21:36,728 --> 00:21:39,463 To me, she potentially has a motive to 414 00:21:39,564 --> 00:21:42,300 commit such a crime based upon her past history. 415 00:21:45,103 --> 00:21:48,239 ARNTFIELD: Kathryn immediately jumps out in my mind as a viable 416 00:21:48,340 --> 00:21:53,311 suspect in that we have this strange ideological fixation, 417 00:21:53,412 --> 00:21:54,345 even an obsession. 418 00:21:54,446 --> 00:21:56,447 She's part of this anti-embalming cult, 419 00:21:56,548 --> 00:21:59,383 and then she has a history of stalker-like behavior. 420 00:21:59,484 --> 00:22:01,419 Combine those things, you're talking about 421 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,955 someone very obsessive, very committed, someone who can 422 00:22:05,057 --> 00:22:06,324 act, then, very dangerously. 423 00:22:06,425 --> 00:22:07,892 [gunshot blasts] 424 00:22:07,993 --> 00:22:10,728 NARRATOR: Believing Kathryn Padilla could be responsible for 425 00:22:10,829 --> 00:22:12,263 a double homicide, 426 00:22:12,364 --> 00:22:16,367 detectives travel to Augusta, Wisconsin, to interrogate her. 427 00:22:16,468 --> 00:22:18,703 What we learned from her is that... 428 00:22:18,804 --> 00:22:20,638 [indistinct whispering voices] 429 00:22:20,739 --> 00:22:22,440 ...she is the prophet of approximately 430 00:22:22,541 --> 00:22:26,377 25 people consisting of adults and children. 431 00:22:26,478 --> 00:22:28,913 She holds these little gatherings at her home 432 00:22:29,014 --> 00:22:32,950 every Saturday and talks about Biblical scriptures. 433 00:22:33,051 --> 00:22:34,285 And she speaks in tongues. 434 00:22:37,289 --> 00:22:38,589 To me, that's very odd. 435 00:22:40,525 --> 00:22:42,993 STOCKDALE: And often times, cult leaders are very charismatic. 436 00:22:43,095 --> 00:22:44,462 They draw followers to them. 437 00:22:44,563 --> 00:22:47,198 They can influence them into doing what they want. 438 00:22:47,299 --> 00:22:49,166 In popular terms, 439 00:22:49,267 --> 00:22:52,036 we might call this brainwashing or mind control, 440 00:22:52,137 --> 00:22:53,104 but really, what it is 441 00:22:53,205 --> 00:22:56,374 is a coercive process where people manipulate 442 00:22:56,475 --> 00:22:58,275 and exploit others to do what they want. 443 00:23:00,112 --> 00:23:02,012 Sometimes that ends in violence. 444 00:23:03,915 --> 00:23:05,983 NARRATOR: When investigators confront Kathryn 445 00:23:06,084 --> 00:23:08,953 with the threatening letters she sent to funeral directors, 446 00:23:09,054 --> 00:23:10,521 she has a quick answer. 447 00:23:10,622 --> 00:23:13,057 PETTEE: She just said it was simply an expression of her 448 00:23:13,158 --> 00:23:17,294 religious belief and that she isn't going to harm anybody. 449 00:23:18,730 --> 00:23:21,065 It's taken out of context. 450 00:23:23,101 --> 00:23:25,436 NARRATOR: Suspecting Kathryn is lying to them, 451 00:23:25,537 --> 00:23:28,406 detectives carry out a search warrant of her home. 452 00:23:28,507 --> 00:23:31,041 PETTEE: We did do a search warrant Katherine's apartment 453 00:23:31,143 --> 00:23:32,877 and seized several documents, 454 00:23:32,978 --> 00:23:36,614 including a letter that said, "Prepare for war." 455 00:23:36,715 --> 00:23:39,984 As alarming as it sounds, we couldn't find anything 456 00:23:40,085 --> 00:23:41,385 to tie her to Dan O'Connell. 457 00:23:42,788 --> 00:23:45,456 We asked her where she was on the day of the homicide. 458 00:23:45,557 --> 00:23:47,525 She said she was at home, giving a sermon. 459 00:23:47,626 --> 00:23:51,595 We were able to determine based upon other interviews 460 00:23:51,696 --> 00:23:53,097 that, indeed, her time was 461 00:23:53,198 --> 00:23:56,534 accorded for several 100 miles away from Hudson. 462 00:23:59,037 --> 00:24:02,039 NARRATOR: Having ruled out yet another suspect, leads 463 00:24:02,140 --> 00:24:04,742 dry up, and the case goes cold 464 00:24:06,311 --> 00:24:11,382 JENNIE: Waiting for this to come to a conclusion was the worst. 465 00:24:11,483 --> 00:24:12,616 It's the looking over your shoulder, 466 00:24:12,717 --> 00:24:15,619 you know, I mean, are they gonna come after me and my kids? 467 00:24:17,556 --> 00:24:19,890 And looking at people differently. 468 00:24:19,991 --> 00:24:23,527 Who are my friends? Who can I trust? 469 00:24:23,628 --> 00:24:26,363 Do I know this person really? Do I really know who you are? 470 00:24:26,465 --> 00:24:28,132 Did you have anything to do with Dan's death? 471 00:24:28,233 --> 00:24:30,134 Did you do this? 472 00:24:30,235 --> 00:24:33,204 I became very enclosed, 473 00:24:33,305 --> 00:24:35,773 and I didn't trust anybody, 474 00:24:35,874 --> 00:24:36,907 because I didn't know. 475 00:24:38,243 --> 00:24:41,178 PETTEE: Deep down, I knew I had to do something. 476 00:24:41,279 --> 00:24:44,348 I had a personal interest in this now, 477 00:24:44,449 --> 00:24:47,284 unlike any other case that I've ever worked. 478 00:24:47,385 --> 00:24:50,888 And I told myself and I told Jennie that 479 00:24:50,989 --> 00:24:53,858 I will work it until the day I die. 480 00:24:53,959 --> 00:24:55,593 If it means stayin' 481 00:24:55,694 --> 00:24:57,094 another 20 years on the force, 482 00:24:57,195 --> 00:24:58,395 we're gonna get to the bottom of it. 483 00:25:09,574 --> 00:25:12,710 NARRATOR: After two years, the families of Dan O'Connell 484 00:25:12,811 --> 00:25:14,411 and James Ellison fear 485 00:25:14,513 --> 00:25:17,314 their murders may never be solved. 486 00:25:17,415 --> 00:25:21,585 Dan's family decides to take matters into their own hands. 487 00:25:21,686 --> 00:25:26,257 Kathi O'Connell, the sister to Dan, reached out to, uh, 488 00:25:26,358 --> 00:25:29,593 a group of retired homicide detectives, 489 00:25:29,694 --> 00:25:32,396 forensic psychologists, out of Philadelphia 490 00:25:32,497 --> 00:25:34,465 called the Vidocq Society. 491 00:25:34,566 --> 00:25:37,268 We ended up presenting our case to the Vidocq Society, 492 00:25:37,369 --> 00:25:40,371 hoping for an answer. 493 00:25:40,472 --> 00:25:43,073 This is precisely what we do is offer advice 494 00:25:43,174 --> 00:25:46,010 and direction and peer review for free on 495 00:25:46,111 --> 00:25:47,811 stalled investigations. 496 00:25:47,913 --> 00:25:49,680 In many cases, it's just about getting a set of 497 00:25:49,781 --> 00:25:54,785 fresh eyes with no existing sort of presumptions or biases 498 00:25:54,886 --> 00:25:56,420 to look at something objectively, 499 00:25:56,521 --> 00:25:59,356 and you'd be amazed what the results can be. 500 00:26:02,661 --> 00:26:05,763 NARRATOR: Richard Walter, a criminal profiler and one of 501 00:26:05,864 --> 00:26:07,932 the society's founding members, 502 00:26:08,033 --> 00:26:09,633 agrees to take a look at the case. 503 00:26:09,734 --> 00:26:12,603 Mr. Walter was able to paint 504 00:26:12,704 --> 00:26:15,873 a better picture of the crime scene for us. 505 00:26:15,974 --> 00:26:19,410 He indicated that this crime showed a lack of emotion. 506 00:26:19,511 --> 00:26:21,478 It was very purposeful. 507 00:26:21,613 --> 00:26:24,882 The shooter was detached from the victims. 508 00:26:24,983 --> 00:26:28,485 He wanted to show power over the victims. 509 00:26:28,587 --> 00:26:32,356 This is not an anger retaliatory, a jealous husband, 510 00:26:32,457 --> 00:26:35,326 angry co-worker type of situation. 511 00:26:35,427 --> 00:26:38,329 You didn't see that multiple shots to the body. 512 00:26:38,430 --> 00:26:40,297 He didn't see signs of overkill. 513 00:26:43,735 --> 00:26:48,439 This was a power sort of cold, calculated killing. 514 00:26:48,540 --> 00:26:51,508 NARRATOR: Detective Pettee and Richard Walter start from 515 00:26:51,610 --> 00:26:54,345 the beginning, digging into the background of all of 516 00:26:54,446 --> 00:26:56,880 Dan's close friends and colleagues. 517 00:26:56,982 --> 00:27:00,351 PETTEE: Of the top 10 persons of interest, 518 00:27:00,452 --> 00:27:03,087 we were able to rule out nine of them. 519 00:27:03,188 --> 00:27:05,022 There was just one person left 520 00:27:05,123 --> 00:27:07,124 that we could not rule out completely. 521 00:27:08,593 --> 00:27:09,693 And that was Ryan Erickson. 522 00:27:11,896 --> 00:27:14,098 NARRATOR: Detectives look deeper into Father Erickson's 523 00:27:14,199 --> 00:27:17,101 background and discover something alarming. 524 00:27:19,471 --> 00:27:22,272 We learned before he came to Hudson that a college student 525 00:27:22,374 --> 00:27:24,441 reported that he had been provided alcohol 526 00:27:24,542 --> 00:27:25,743 while he was underage. 527 00:27:28,346 --> 00:27:30,047 And that he had been sexually assaulted 528 00:27:30,148 --> 00:27:31,949 by Father Ryan Erickson. 529 00:27:33,718 --> 00:27:35,686 Just because he's doing these sexual assaults 530 00:27:35,787 --> 00:27:37,921 doesn't mean he's a killer. 531 00:27:38,023 --> 00:27:40,891 But it gives us an idea of his mental state. 532 00:27:42,427 --> 00:27:45,763 If he's committing this type of crime, who's to say 533 00:27:45,864 --> 00:27:47,898 he can't commit another further, bigger crime? 534 00:27:49,968 --> 00:27:51,135 NARRATOR: Detectives track 535 00:27:51,236 --> 00:27:53,237 Father Erickson down at the parish, 536 00:27:53,338 --> 00:27:57,341 and he agrees to come into the station for an interview. 537 00:27:57,442 --> 00:28:00,177 PETTEE: We question him about his actions regarding these 538 00:28:00,278 --> 00:28:04,348 sex assaults and the consequences of 539 00:28:04,449 --> 00:28:06,550 underage alcohol consumption. 540 00:28:34,579 --> 00:28:36,780 PETTEE: He pretty much blew it off, stating that he was just 541 00:28:36,881 --> 00:28:39,683 trying to teach these kids a lesson on how to drink 542 00:28:39,784 --> 00:28:41,685 and how to consume alcohol responsible. 543 00:29:11,616 --> 00:29:13,250 PETTEE: Who in their right mind would be 544 00:29:13,351 --> 00:29:15,419 even remotely saying that they're trying to teach 545 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,821 these kids how to be responsible with alcohol? 546 00:29:21,326 --> 00:29:23,794 We need to find out where Father Ryan Erickson was 547 00:29:23,895 --> 00:29:27,931 on February 5th, 2002, the day Dan and James were killed. 548 00:29:28,032 --> 00:29:31,368 He stated at eight o'clock a.m., 549 00:29:31,469 --> 00:29:35,873 he conducted Mass -- Between 11:30 and 12:30, 550 00:29:35,974 --> 00:29:38,575 he had lunch at the school with children. 551 00:29:40,078 --> 00:29:42,579 And between 12:30 and 1:30, he went back 552 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,481 to the church to work on his computer. 553 00:29:45,884 --> 00:29:48,685 This information is important, because if it's true 554 00:29:48,787 --> 00:29:50,287 and accurate, that shows that 555 00:29:50,388 --> 00:29:53,724 he was not at the scene. 556 00:29:53,825 --> 00:29:56,960 And so if he has an alibi here, 557 00:29:57,061 --> 00:29:58,362 it's important information. 558 00:30:02,934 --> 00:30:05,402 When I asked him what he heard about the homicides, 559 00:30:05,503 --> 00:30:06,436 he stated... 560 00:30:24,923 --> 00:30:27,858 And he stated that he read it in the newspaper or heard it 561 00:30:27,959 --> 00:30:30,561 on the news or something to that effect. 562 00:31:36,928 --> 00:31:38,929 That was a huge red flag for me, 563 00:31:39,030 --> 00:31:43,133 because he just explained in detail the crime scene. 564 00:31:43,234 --> 00:31:45,936 That information was never ever released to the public. 565 00:31:46,037 --> 00:31:47,905 The only person that would 566 00:31:48,006 --> 00:31:49,606 know this information is the shooter. 567 00:31:59,183 --> 00:32:00,884 NARRATOR: After revealing details about 568 00:32:00,985 --> 00:32:02,586 the murders of funeral home director 569 00:32:02,687 --> 00:32:04,321 Dan O'Connell and his intern, 570 00:32:04,422 --> 00:32:07,925 James Ellison, that only the killer would know, 571 00:32:08,026 --> 00:32:11,094 detectives zero in on Father Ryan Erickson as 572 00:32:11,195 --> 00:32:14,498 their prime suspect in the 2002 double homicide. 573 00:32:33,918 --> 00:32:35,919 You're giving us information that was 574 00:32:36,020 --> 00:32:38,221 never ever released to the public. 575 00:32:38,323 --> 00:32:41,224 You have told us exactly what happened in the funeral home. 576 00:32:42,593 --> 00:32:44,061 However, he still denies it. 577 00:32:59,410 --> 00:33:02,012 One of the last questions I asked him was, 578 00:33:02,113 --> 00:33:04,448 if you committed these homicides and knew you could get 579 00:33:04,549 --> 00:33:06,917 away with it, would you tell anybody? 580 00:33:30,608 --> 00:33:34,611 And I said, "If you committed these homicides 581 00:33:34,712 --> 00:33:37,014 and knew you were gonna get caught, what would you do?" 582 00:33:51,696 --> 00:33:54,097 My reaction when he said he would commit suicide 583 00:33:54,198 --> 00:33:56,500 if he was going to get caught was overwhelming. 584 00:33:56,601 --> 00:33:59,569 I mean, that's a sin in itself to 585 00:33:59,670 --> 00:34:01,872 commit suicide in the eyes of the Catholic Church. 586 00:34:05,977 --> 00:34:08,345 NARRATOR: Investigators now have enough circumstantial 587 00:34:08,446 --> 00:34:11,048 evidence to request a search warrant. 588 00:34:11,149 --> 00:34:14,584 So we end up conducting a search warrant at his house, 589 00:34:14,685 --> 00:34:16,586 and we seize this computer. 590 00:34:16,687 --> 00:34:19,623 We found several images of 591 00:34:19,724 --> 00:34:22,926 child sex assaults. 592 00:34:23,027 --> 00:34:26,797 We located a software device that he put on his computer 593 00:34:26,898 --> 00:34:29,099 in attempt to wipe the hard drive. 594 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:32,669 We located 16 different firearms, 595 00:34:32,770 --> 00:34:35,072 and clearly we were most interested 596 00:34:35,173 --> 00:34:37,507 in the two nine millimeters that he had. 597 00:34:37,608 --> 00:34:39,309 Those were sent to the crime lab. 598 00:34:40,678 --> 00:34:42,245 NARRATOR: When detectives dig deeper into 599 00:34:42,346 --> 00:34:44,081 Father Erickson's computer, 600 00:34:44,182 --> 00:34:47,117 it reveals a key piece of evidence. 601 00:34:47,218 --> 00:34:49,886 There was no activity on his computer 602 00:34:49,987 --> 00:34:52,322 between 12:30 and 1:30 like he said. 603 00:34:55,193 --> 00:34:59,563 We have to wonder now if between 1:07 and 1:22 p.m., 604 00:34:59,664 --> 00:35:02,966 Ryan Erickson killed Dan and James. 605 00:35:04,635 --> 00:35:07,604 NARRATOR: Having destroyed Father Erickson's alibi, 606 00:35:07,705 --> 00:35:09,940 detectives work to figure out why he would want 607 00:35:10,041 --> 00:35:13,743 Dan O'Connell, the town's beloved funeral director, dead. 608 00:35:13,845 --> 00:35:16,713 Their questions are answered when 609 00:35:16,814 --> 00:35:19,950 a surprising witness comes forward. 610 00:35:20,051 --> 00:35:23,386 PETTEE: Dan had coffee with the bus driver at one of 611 00:35:23,488 --> 00:35:25,956 the local stores, 612 00:35:26,057 --> 00:35:27,457 and, according to her, 613 00:35:27,558 --> 00:35:31,061 Dan told her that he had a meeting 614 00:35:31,162 --> 00:35:34,965 with Father Erickson later on that day. 615 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,268 Dan was concerned about Father Erickson 616 00:35:38,369 --> 00:35:40,570 and about his relationship with boys 617 00:35:40,671 --> 00:35:43,807 and allegations of touching and that type of thing, 618 00:35:43,908 --> 00:35:46,910 which would give us a motive. 619 00:35:47,011 --> 00:35:49,779 NARRATOR: Detectives now theorize that Father Erickson 620 00:35:49,881 --> 00:35:51,381 was the mysterious 1 p.m. 621 00:35:51,482 --> 00:35:53,450 meeting that Dan had booked last-minute 622 00:35:53,551 --> 00:35:55,986 on the day he was murdered. 623 00:35:56,087 --> 00:35:58,355 PETTEE: Clearly, Dan knew something about Ryan Erickson 624 00:35:58,456 --> 00:36:00,223 that he didn't want let out. 625 00:36:00,324 --> 00:36:02,659 JENNIE: Dan was the kind of guy 626 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:04,027 that's like go head-on. 627 00:36:04,128 --> 00:36:06,763 I'm gonna talk to you first before I go to the police, 628 00:36:06,864 --> 00:36:07,998 but I am going to the police. 629 00:36:09,367 --> 00:36:11,034 NARRATOR: Detectives race to the rectory 630 00:36:11,135 --> 00:36:12,702 to arrest Father Erickson. 631 00:36:12,803 --> 00:36:16,306 They are met by his superior, Deacon Russ Lundgren. 632 00:36:16,407 --> 00:36:20,477 He advised that Ryan Erickson 633 00:36:21,946 --> 00:36:23,914 put a rope around his neck, 634 00:36:24,015 --> 00:36:27,117 tied it to the balcony, and jumped off 635 00:36:27,218 --> 00:36:28,385 and committed suicide. 636 00:36:34,525 --> 00:36:36,493 Russ Lundgren found a couple letters on 637 00:36:36,594 --> 00:36:38,428 Ryan Erickson's desk. 638 00:36:38,529 --> 00:36:40,697 One of them was a last will and testament, 639 00:36:40,798 --> 00:36:43,433 and the other was a letter just stating he didn't do it. 640 00:36:44,936 --> 00:36:49,472 I've lived a hard but exciting life, I learned and I taught. 641 00:36:49,574 --> 00:36:52,309 I helped people, and I hurt them. 642 00:36:52,410 --> 00:36:55,579 But I never killed anyone. 643 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:59,049 My ego, my pride, my lust, my envy have always 644 00:36:59,150 --> 00:37:02,319 stopped me from being the best person I could be. 645 00:37:02,420 --> 00:37:03,386 I am tired. 646 00:37:05,690 --> 00:37:06,823 STOCKDALE: In this note, 647 00:37:06,924 --> 00:37:10,527 he talks about certain characteristics in himself that 648 00:37:10,628 --> 00:37:11,895 he's not happy with, 649 00:37:11,996 --> 00:37:15,265 even though he denies doing the crime. 650 00:37:15,366 --> 00:37:18,868 I see this as kind of a shame-anger cycle, 651 00:37:18,970 --> 00:37:20,470 where you blame other people, 652 00:37:20,571 --> 00:37:22,672 but then, when you have nobody else to blame, 653 00:37:22,773 --> 00:37:24,841 you end up blaming yourself. 654 00:37:24,942 --> 00:37:27,510 NARRATOR: But what Deacon Lundgren tells detectives next 655 00:37:27,612 --> 00:37:30,146 confirms their deepest suspicions. 656 00:37:31,415 --> 00:37:33,783 A few days earlier, 657 00:37:33,884 --> 00:37:37,053 Lundgren overheard Father Ryan York said, slamming his fist 658 00:37:37,154 --> 00:37:39,055 on the desk and said, 659 00:37:39,156 --> 00:37:41,825 "[bleep] I did it, and they're gonna get me." 660 00:37:41,926 --> 00:37:44,361 And Lundgren peeked his head in the office and said, 661 00:37:44,462 --> 00:37:46,062 "What are you talking about?" 662 00:37:46,163 --> 00:37:47,998 And he said, "You know what they do to priests in prison?" 663 00:37:50,635 --> 00:37:52,636 That statement alone is a confession. 664 00:37:55,439 --> 00:37:58,008 There's no doubt in my mind that Ryan Erickson killed 665 00:37:58,109 --> 00:37:59,609 Dan O'Connell and James Ellison. 666 00:38:01,579 --> 00:38:04,581 NARRATOR: Detectives now believe they know what happened in 667 00:38:04,682 --> 00:38:07,150 the final hours of Dan O'Connell's life. 668 00:38:10,154 --> 00:38:12,589 PETTEE: He left his home at 7:40 a.m. 669 00:38:12,690 --> 00:38:15,358 and met with his brother, Mike, in Baldwin about 670 00:38:15,459 --> 00:38:18,194 eight o'clock -- Around nine o'clock, 671 00:38:18,296 --> 00:38:20,363 Dan leaves the meeting and arrives in 672 00:38:20,464 --> 00:38:23,533 Hudson and has coffee with the bus driver about 9:30. 673 00:38:24,935 --> 00:38:26,870 Dan told the bus driver that he had 674 00:38:26,971 --> 00:38:30,040 a meeting with Erickson between 12:30 and 1:30. 675 00:38:31,609 --> 00:38:34,544 At 1:07, Dan calls an engraving company. 676 00:38:36,814 --> 00:38:39,482 Sometime between 1:07 and 1:22, 677 00:38:41,118 --> 00:38:43,119 Father Ryan Erickson is in the funeral home. 678 00:38:45,523 --> 00:38:48,625 He pulled the trigger, killed Dan O'Connell in cold blood. 679 00:38:48,726 --> 00:38:49,993 [gunshot blasts] 680 00:38:52,596 --> 00:38:55,131 And as he's getting ready to leave, 681 00:38:55,232 --> 00:38:58,902 James Ellison just happens to walk through that doorway, 682 00:38:59,003 --> 00:39:01,538 and now, we have a witness. 683 00:39:01,639 --> 00:39:03,973 James was in the wrong spot at the wrong time, 684 00:39:04,075 --> 00:39:06,376 and he paid the price. 685 00:39:14,852 --> 00:39:17,687 NARRATOR: When detectives tell Jennie that they believe 686 00:39:17,788 --> 00:39:20,990 Father Erickson killed her husband and his intern, 687 00:39:21,092 --> 00:39:23,460 she's in disbelief. 688 00:39:23,561 --> 00:39:27,063 It shocked the hell out of me, because that man was in 689 00:39:27,164 --> 00:39:28,465 my house hours 690 00:39:28,566 --> 00:39:31,334 after he shot and killed Dan and James. 691 00:39:34,038 --> 00:39:36,506 He consoled me and my family. 692 00:39:36,607 --> 00:39:40,143 He spoke at Dan's funeral. 693 00:39:40,244 --> 00:39:43,646 And that was... 694 00:39:44,749 --> 00:39:48,451 that was almost as bad as the day that Dan was murdered, 695 00:39:49,787 --> 00:39:51,421 because I trusted that man. 696 00:39:53,758 --> 00:39:55,258 He took away my -- 697 00:39:55,359 --> 00:39:57,227 My faith in my Catholic church, 698 00:39:58,662 --> 00:40:01,197 and I felt I didn't know anybody, 699 00:40:03,067 --> 00:40:05,768 if he could shoot two men in cold blood, 700 00:40:05,836 --> 00:40:08,071 and 701 00:40:08,172 --> 00:40:10,840 go about his life as if nothing happened. 702 00:40:12,576 --> 00:40:15,745 NARRATOR: St. Croix County District Attorney Eric Johnson 703 00:40:15,846 --> 00:40:18,181 requests a John Doe hearing. 704 00:40:18,282 --> 00:40:20,950 THOMAS: A John Doe hearing is something similar 705 00:40:21,051 --> 00:40:23,920 to a grand jury hearing -- Except for 706 00:40:24,021 --> 00:40:27,524 it will not result in charges coming, 707 00:40:27,625 --> 00:40:30,960 but it will show that there was a sufficient amount of 708 00:40:31,061 --> 00:40:34,531 evidence to find the person guilty of the offense. 709 00:40:34,632 --> 00:40:37,267 NARRATOR: After only 20 minutes, the judge rules 710 00:40:37,368 --> 00:40:40,103 that Father Erickson was the likely killer. 711 00:40:40,204 --> 00:40:43,840 His findings were that we not only showed probable cause that 712 00:40:43,941 --> 00:40:47,444 Father Erickson killed Dan and Jim, 713 00:40:47,545 --> 00:40:49,746 but also beyond a reasonable doubt. 714 00:40:51,649 --> 00:40:55,685 The judge came back and said, on a scale of 1 to 10, 715 00:40:55,786 --> 00:40:57,387 this case is a 10 out of 10. 716 00:40:59,790 --> 00:41:02,692 JENNIE: He did it. He would have been guilty 717 00:41:02,793 --> 00:41:06,162 And I was like, okay, now it's over. 718 00:41:06,263 --> 00:41:08,731 That was closure. 719 00:41:08,833 --> 00:41:13,770 I could shut that chapter finally in my life 720 00:41:15,172 --> 00:41:18,341 and... open up ano -- a new one. 721 00:41:18,442 --> 00:41:21,244 And that's when I decided to start to 722 00:41:21,345 --> 00:41:24,481 live and breathe, because it was done. 723 00:41:28,052 --> 00:41:30,587 NARRATOR: Detectives are finally able to bring closure to 724 00:41:30,688 --> 00:41:34,858 the families of both Dan O'Connell and James Ellison. 725 00:41:34,959 --> 00:41:38,895 It felt like a big weight was lifted off my shoulder, 726 00:41:40,364 --> 00:41:43,099 because I know it affected my family. 727 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,902 I know it affected the victims. 728 00:41:46,003 --> 00:41:50,807 It was just a huge sense of relief that 729 00:41:50,908 --> 00:41:53,543 what took two years seemed like it took 10. 730 00:41:55,613 --> 00:41:58,681 NARRATOR: But the scars still remain after all these years. 731 00:42:00,351 --> 00:42:04,020 I think of all the time 732 00:42:04,121 --> 00:42:05,889 and memories and things that Dan has 733 00:42:05,990 --> 00:42:09,659 missed in the life of the kids. 734 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:13,096 The learning how to drive, 735 00:42:13,197 --> 00:42:14,297 going to prom, 736 00:42:15,633 --> 00:42:17,200 graduating from high school. 737 00:42:19,169 --> 00:42:20,737 He's just missed out on a lot, 738 00:42:22,773 --> 00:42:25,441 but we're survivors, 739 00:42:25,543 --> 00:42:27,777 and the kids and I, we talk about that a lot. 740 00:42:29,213 --> 00:42:30,613 There's nothing we can't survive, because 741 00:42:30,714 --> 00:42:32,081 we've been to hell and back already.