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Decker murder weapon found

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Jan 4, 2013 at 3:02 pm

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (KNSI) A major break today in the investigation into the death of Cold Spring police officer Tom Decker.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Wade Setter says B-C-A agents went to a home in Cold Spring on Wednesday to interview a "person of interest."

That person is identified as 31 year-old Eric Joseph Thomes of Cold Spring. Setter says Thomes fled from agents, entering a metal building on his property. He refused to speak with agents or come out, so agents stormed the building some four hours later. They found Thomes dead. He had hung himself.

Setter says the subsequent investigation of Thomes led them to another Cold Spring residence where agents found a 20 gauge shotgun that is believed to have been the weapon used to kill Decker.

Setter says this is still very much an active and ongoing investigation. He says his office is determined to "fully reconstruct the events that led to Officer Decker's murder."

Decker was killed the night of November 29th while responding to a call behind Winner's Bar in Cold Spring.

A reward of up to $100,000 has been posted for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Decker's killer.