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  Police Await Results of Search of Dead Priest's Computer

Associated Press, carried in Grand Forks Herald [Hudson WI]
June 15, 2005

HUDSON, Wis. - The investigation into the killing of two funeral home workers more than three years ago awaits a sophisticated examination and analysis of a dead priest's computer seized months ago, including the recovery of e-mails that were deleted, the police chief said Wednesday.

"At this point in time, that seems to be the last piece that we need," Chief Richard Trende said.

The computer was seized in December at a rectory in Hurley when the Rev. Ryan Erickson was questioned in the Feb. 5, 2002, killings of funeral home director Dan O'Connell, 39, and his 22-year-old old intern, James Ellison. Erickson was an associate pastor at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Hudson when the funeral workers were killed.

Just days after being questioned, Erickson, 31, was found hanged Dec. 19 from a fire escape at St. Mary's Church in Hurley. Police said he had denied any involvement in the murders.

Trende said Erickson was questioned after a separate investigation was launched last fall into an allegation the priest was involved in a possible crime involving a child or children before he was assigned to the church in Hurley.

Trende has refused to provide many details, including what led detectives to question the priest about the murders, and a judge has sealed court documents in the case, including requests for search warrants.

Trende said Wednesday the technical work of searching both existing and deleted programs and e-mails on Erickson's computer was being done by other agencies with more expertise than his police department, causing the delay.

Trende said he does not know when the work will be done, and he declined comment on whether any evidence of value to the investigation has been recovered so far.

"It is still an active investigation," he said, "and we haven't ruled out the direction we have been going."

Police have not cleared Erickson of wrongdoing in the killings and Trende refers to him as a person of interest, not a suspect.

Erickson's parents did not immediately return a telephone message left at their Woodruff home Wednesday.

O'Connell and Ellison were fatally shot in the office of the O'Connell Family Funeral Home during afternoon business hours. Trende has said investigators ruled out that the killings were random and listed the motive as personal. The gun used has not been found.

In April, investigators met with St. Croix County District Attorney Eric Johnson to discuss the case and it was decided there were still some specific areas that needed to be looked into further, Johnson said.

That led to a new appeal for the public's help.

Trende said Wednesday that he still believes there are people with information that can aid the investigation who have not come forward.

"Time can wear on people," he said. "It gives them time to think and maybe gives them time to overcome whatever is holding them back. We have received some information that has come in within the last year that has been very valuable, but I can't talk about it."

The police chief said he definitely feels public pressure regarding the case, calling the probe long for everybody.

"The public wants answers," he said. "It is our hope to be able to do that. But I think it is always inappropriate to make judgments or jump to conclusions before you have followed through on everything you can or should. That is what we are trying to do."

 
 

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