The Case of Daniel O'Connell and James Ellison

On February 5, 2002, funeral director Daniel O'Connell, 39, and mortuary science intern James Ellison, 22, were shot dead inside O'Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson, Wisconsin. The double murder remained unsolved for almost three years before investigators began examining Catholic priest Ryan Erickson, who had been O'Connell's parish priest. Erickson died by suicide in December 2004, before he could be charged. In October 2005, a judge concluded that Erickson probably committed both murders.

Daniel O'Connell was the director of O'Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson and came from one of the area's prominent families. He was married with two children and was active in the local community. James Ellison, 22, was a mortuary science student who had been working as an intern at the funeral home. O'Connell and Ellison were working at the funeral home on February 5, 2002, when both were murdered during the middle of the day. The killings shocked Hudson, a small Wisconsin community where serious violent crime was uncommon. There was initially no obvious motive, no apparent robbery and no immediate suspect. The case remained unsolved for nearly three years.

The bodies were discovered shortly after 1:30 p.m. when St. Croix County Medical Examiner Marty Shanklin arrived at the funeral home to obtain a death certificate. O'Connell had been shot at close range while sitting behind his desk. Ellison was shot after apparently entering the office and encountering the attack. Investigators concluded that he had attempted to flee toward the doorway before being shot. Both men had been killed with a 9mm handgun. No weapon was found at the scene. Investigators found shell casings but initially had little physical evidence that could identify the shooter. A witness reported seeing a man outside the funeral home around the approximate time of the murders. The man was described as a white male wearing a light-colored shirt, blue pants and a baseball cap before leaving in a white sedan.

The investigation initially produced no clear suspect. Police considered numerous possibilities, including professional or personal motives involving O'Connell, but found no obvious reason why either man would have been targeted. A $100,000 reward was eventually offered for information leading to an arrest, and investigators interviewed approximately 1,800 people during the investigation. Ryan Erickson, a Catholic priest who served as an associate pastor at St. Patrick's Church in Hudson, was among those interviewed by police during the original investigation. At the time, however, investigators did not identify him as the killer. Erickson had been O'Connell's parish priest and had known him personally. The investigation took a dramatic turn in November 2004, when detectives travelled to Hurley, Wisconsin, to question Erickson about allegations of sexual abuse involving a teenage boy. During the interview, detectives asked Erickson questions about the O'Connell and Ellison murders. Erickson provided details about the crime scene that had not been publicly released, including the positions of O'Connell and Ellison during the shooting. Investigators regarded this as significant because such information could potentially be known only to the killer or investigators. Police subsequently searched Erickson's rectory and seized his computer. The investigation also uncovered evidence concerning alleged sexual abuse and Erickson's behaviour toward teenage boys. On December 19, 2004, Erickson was found dead after hanging himself at St. Mary's Church in Hurley. His death meant that he could never be prosecuted for the murders. Investigators nevertheless continued examining the evidence against him.

Because Erickson was dead, prosecutors could not bring a criminal prosecution against him. Instead, St. Croix County District Attorney Eric Johnson presented the evidence during a John Doe proceeding in October 2005. Fifteen witnesses testified, and investigators presented additional evidence concerning Erickson's movements, statements, relationships with O'Connell and the information he provided during his police interview. On October 3, 2005, St. Croix County Judge Eric Lundell concluded that Ryan Erickson probably committed the murders of Daniel O'Connell and James Ellison. The judge described the circumstantial case as exceptionally strong, effectively concluding that Erickson was responsible for the double homicide. Because Erickson had died before prosecution, there was no criminal trial, jury verdict or conviction.

The murders became particularly significant because the eventual suspect was the parish priest of one of the victims. Erickson had also participated in O'Connell's funeral after the murders, meaning the priest who investigators later concluded probably killed O'Connell had publicly ministered to the victim's family following his death. The case remained officially without a criminal conviction because Erickson died before charges could be brought against him.