WISCONSIN
Pierce County Herald
By: Doug Stohlberg, Pierce County Herald
Feb 5 marks the 10-year anniversary of Hudson’s most infamous crime — the double murder of funeral home director Dan O’Connell and his student intern, James Ellison.
Making the case even more bizarre was that the murders were committed by a Catholic priest, Ryan Erickson. It took nearly three years to finally put together the necessary evidence and solve the case. Erickson died of suicide as the police dragnet closed around him.
It was a cold Tuesday afternoon on Feb. 5, 2002, when police received a call at about 1:40 p.m. from Marty Shanklin, the St. Croix County medical examiner. He had stopped at the O’Connell Funeral home at 520 11th St. to collect routine signatures on a death certificate.
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