NEENAH, WI – A man who admitted to killing his parents in their Wisconsin home will spend the rest of his life in prison, following a sentencing Friday that closed one of the region’s most disturbing recent homicide cases.
Erik Tyrrell Metzig, 28, received two consecutive life sentences in Winnebago County Circuit Court after pleading no contest to charges of first-degree intentional homicide for the deaths of his parents, David and Jan Metzig. Judge Michael Gibbs imposed the maximum penalty allowed under state law, ensuring Metzig will never be eligible for parole.
The sentencing comes nearly 16 months after authorities discovered the bodies of David and Jan Metzig in their bedroom at their home on Metzig Road in the Town of Wolf River. Police responded to the residence in March 2023 after a disconnected 911 call and were met by another of the Metzig children, who had been contacted for a welfare check. Inside the house, investigators found the couple dead from gunshot wounds, their bodies partially covered, and evidence of a violent struggle in the room.
During Friday’s proceedings, members of the Metzig family delivered emotional victim impact statements. One brother addressed the court, expressing lasting fear and disbelief that Erik could harm their own parents, and warned that such actions showed a capacity for violence against anyone. Another encouraged the court to show no leniency, stating the murders would forever overshadow Erik’s legacy.
Court documents and testimony painted a grim picture of the events that led up to the killings. According to law enforcement records, Metzig had been living with his parents at the time of the crime. After the bodies were found, deputies noted that Erik and his vehicle were missing from the family home. Inside the house, investigators found a loaded AR-style rifle, a weapon that one sibling said Erik had recently become interested in.
Metzig was located the following day at a YMCA in Fond du Lac County, about 26 miles away from the scene. Authorities reported that he was wearing shooting glasses commonly used at gun ranges. Further examination of Metzig’s belongings uncovered a journal, which investigators say revealed plans to kill his parents and stage their disappearance.
After initially pleading no contest to murder charges, Metzig later sought to take back his plea, alleging he had suffered sexual abuse. The judge rejected this reversal, stating Metzig had not demonstrated responsibility for his crimes and had instead tried to place blame elsewhere, including on his parents and medication.
Judge Gibbs cited these actions in his sentencing, observing a lack of remorse in Metzig’s attempts to shift responsibility. “There’s some victim blaming, some medication blaming, but very little remorse is being shown,” Gibbs said before handing down the consecutive life sentences.
Evidence collected from the crime scene and Metzig’s own writings left little question in the eyes of prosecutors about his intentions and culpability, they argued in court. Investigators also relied on statements from Metzig’s relatives, who believed almost immediately after the murders that he was responsible.
The slayings shocked the small community and devastated a local family known for their involvement in the area. The Metzigs had been well liked, with deep roots in the region.
As Metzig begins his consecutive life terms in the state prison system, the family’s surviving children and the broader Winnebago County community continue to reckon with the tragedy that unfolded within the home they once shared.