Inset: Erik Metzig in court for his sentencing hearing on Oct. 17 (WLUK). Background: The home where Metzig killed his parents in March 2023 (WLUK).
In a chilling case that shook Wisconsin, a 28-year-old man will now spend the rest of his life in prison for the brutal murder of his parents. This tragic event, which unfolded over two years ago, saw Erik Tyrrell Metzig fatally shooting both his mother and father inside their home.
The courtroom of Winnebago County Circuit Judge Michael Gibbs was the setting for the somber conclusion to this case on Friday. Judge Gibbs sentenced Metzig to two consecutive life terms for the 2023 murders of David and Jan Metzig. This decision followed Metzig’s no contest plea to two first-degree murder charges last year. Despite his later attempts to retract this plea by alleging he was a victim of sexual abuse, Judge Gibbs denied these claims, as confirmed by court records.
The sentencing hearing was marked by poignant and emotional statements from Metzig’s siblings, who painted a grim picture of their brother’s actions. In a powerful victim impact statement, one brother expressed his fears, “If Erik is willing to murder our own parents in an attempt to tarnish our father’s reputation, the very people who care for him and love him the most, he is capable of harming anyone,” as documented in footage shared by Green Bay Fox affiliate WLUK.
The other brother did not mince words, making an impassioned plea for justice. “Erik did the unthinkable and killed the two of them. The police believe they were naked and shot while in their bedroom,” he said. “Unfortunately for Erik, this will define who he is and how he will be remembered. Out of justice for my parents, I ask the court for a sentence of life without parole.”
Another brother outright requested that Metzig spend the rest of his life behind bars.
“Erik did the unthinkable and killed the two of them. The police believe they were naked and shot while in their bedroom,” the other brother said. “Unfortunately for Erik, this will define who he is and how he will be remembered. Out of justice for my parents, I ask the court for a sentence of life without parole.”
The judge also castigated Metzig for seeking to cast blame on his victims or other factors rather than taking personal responsibility for his actions, Green Bay NBC affiliate WGBA reported.
“There’s some victim blaming, some medication blaming, but very little remorse is being shown,” Gibbs said. “All things being considered, Mr. Metzig, you are hereby sentenced to life in the Wisconsin prison system, and both sentences will be consecutive with each other.”
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, deputies with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office in March 2023 responded to a residence in the 8000 block of Metzig Road to perform a welfare check after receiving an early morning 911 call during which the caller hung up. Unable to get a response from the homeowners, deputies contacted one of their sons, referred to in court documents as “W1,” who escorted authorities into the residence.
“Upon walking through the home W1 found his parents in their bedroom, covered in blankets, with bags over their heads, and deceased from apparent gunshot wounds,” the affidavit states. “A significant amount of blood was found in the immediate vicinity of the bodies of [the victims]. W1 told Deputies Erik Metzig had been living with his parents and should be home, however, his car was missing from the property. W1 said Erik’s car is usually parked in the third stall within the garage but the overhead door was open and the vehicle was gone.”
Inside the home, deputies found a loaded “AR platform rifle,” a weapon Metzig’s brother said Metzig had “recently shown interest in.” The brother then told authorities he believed Erik Metzig killed their parents.
Authorities located Metzig at a YMCA about 26 miles away from the location of the murders. He was wearing “shooting glasses,” which authorities said were the type of glasses “regularly worn at gun ranges.”
In addition to the physical evidence linking Metzig to the murders, authorities said they also discovered incriminating writings from Metzig.
“A journal was found in Erik Metzig’s bedroom detailing that he wanted to eliminate his parents and make it look like they went missing while out for a walk,” the affidavit said.
