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).
A 28-year-old man in Wisconsin will spend the remainder of his days behind bars for killing both of his parents, fatally shooting the victims inside their home over two years ago.
Winnebago County Circuit Judge Michael Gibbs on Friday ordered Erik Tyrrell Metzig to serve two consecutive life sentences for the 2023 slayings of David Metzig and Jan Metzig. The judge handed down the maximum sentence after Metzig pleaded no contest last year to two counts of first-degree murder. He later attempted to withdraw that plea by claiming he was the victim of sexual abuse, but Gibbs rejected that request, records show.
Two of Metzig”s siblings addressed the court with scathing victim impact statements.
“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,” one of his brothers said, according to courtroom footage posted by Green Bay Fox affiliate WLUK.
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.”
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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.
