In the quiet town of Wolf River, Wisconsin, a grim discovery was made on March 18, 2023, shattering the community's sense of peace. David Metzig, a 72-year-old White male, and his wife Jan, 71, were found deceased in their home. The couple, well-regarded owners of the Union Star Cheese Factory, had been staples in their community for decades.
Concern arose after a 911 call was made from the Metzig residence early that Saturday morning, but the caller hung up.
When sheriff's deputies responded for a welfare check, they were met with a horrific scene. Inside the bedroom, David and his wife were discovered wrapped in blankets with bags placed over their heads. Both had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. The initial investigation pointed to a deeply personal and planned attack.
Suspicion quickly fell upon one of the couple's five sons, Erik Metzig, who lived with his parents but was missing from the home, along with his car. Evidence found at the scene began to paint a chilling picture. An AR-style rifle with a loaded magazine was on the kitchen table, and unfired 9mm bullets were near the bodies. The most damning discovery was a journal in Erik's bedroom that detailed a plan to "eliminate" his parents and stage their disappearance as if they had gone missing during a walk.
Later that morning, Erik Metzig was located and detained at a YMCA approximately 35 miles away in Kimberly. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of his parents. More than a year later, in August 2024, Erik Metzig pleaded no contest to the charges. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his parents, bringing a somber conclusion to a case that deeply affected the Wolf River community.
