In the late summer of 2017, the community of Lawrence, Kansas, was shaken by the tragic death of 36-year-old Erin Alane Berg. A senseless act of domestic violence on Sunday, August 13, 2017, claimed her life and that of her three-year-old daughter. Berg, a certified gemologist and glass artist, was remembered for her bright smile and kind heart, qualities that she passed down to her young daughter, Mazey.
The devastating events unfolded when law enforcement responded to a report of a
shooting and discovered Erin Berg in the driveway of a residence, having been shot multiple times. She tragically died at the scene. The investigation quickly led authorities to the Baker Wetlands, a nearby nature area. There, they found Berg's vehicle in a parking area, and a short distance away, the bodies of her daughter and the child's father, 41-year-old Peter Sander.
Investigators determined that Sander, a resident of rural Douglas County with whom Berg had been in a prior relationship, was the perpetrator. It is believed that Sander shot and killed Berg before driving her vehicle to the wetlands, where he then killed their daughter and took his own life. The case was investigated as a double murder-suicide, and as the sole suspect, Peter Sander, was deceased, no arrests were made in connection with the deaths of Erin and Mazey Berg. The motive for the tragic event remains unclear, leaving a community to mourn the loss of a vibrant mother and her beloved child.
