TIMELINE: Investigation in Killing of Cold Spring Officer

Thursday, November 29th:

• 9:00 p.m.-Call to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office from Ryan Larson’s family he was suicidal

• Cold Spring Officer Greg Reiter responds a short time later to Larson’s apartment above Winner’s Bar and found nothing

• 10:35 p.m.- Officer Greg Reiter returns after seeing Larson's car at the bar.Tom Decker arrived at 10:45 and gets out of his cruiser and was confronted by an armed individual and was shot twice and died

• Officer Reiter claims he observed an individual with a hoodie after he heard two loud "bangs". Saw him with a "handgun" and backed his cruiser out of the parking lot

• Two calls were made to 911 around 10:47 p.m.

• Officer Tom Decker was found with a gunshot wound to the head by back up officers

• Around 12:15 a.m. a Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) entered Larson's apartment found him laying on his bed next to a gun. He was arrested without incident.

• The BCA processes the crime scene, conducts interviews

• Search of river for the murder weapon

Friday, November 30th:

• 3 p.m. The crime scene was cleared and the streets around the crime scene reopen, still no weapons or witnesses

Saturday, December 1st:

• Stearns County Sheriff’s Office asks public to be on the look out for the murder weapon (20 gauge shotgun)

 

Monday, December 3rd:

• 12 p.m. The deadline to file charges against Larson

• The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office asked for extension to hold Larson and it was granted

Tuesday, December 4th:

• 11:50 a.m. Larson was released from the Stearns County jail without charges filed against him, the investigation continues

• There are still no witnesses and a weapon was still not found

• BCA ramps up its staff on the investigation

• 4:00 p.m. Visitation held for Decker in Cold Spring

 

Friday, December 9th:

• Court document released showing Officer Decker's partner froze up and did not pursue the suspect

 

Monday, December 17th:

• Spotlight on Crime Group is offering a $100,000 reward, billboards go up with reward

• BCA asks for public's help to look for a black van with loud exhaust that was seen leaving the scene

• Dive Teams are back in the Sauk River looking for the 20-gauge shotgun

 

Tuesday, December 18th:

• The Stearns County Attorney releases transcripts of two calls made to 911

 

Wednesday January 2nd:

• 2:00 p.m. Investigators went to interview 31-year-old Eric Joseph Thomes after receiving a tip. Thomas, who was considered a person ran from police into a shed and refused to come out.

• 7:00 p.m. Police found he hanged himself inside the shed at his rural Cold Spring home.

• The likely murder weapon was found on a separate property

 

Friday January 4th:

• 2:00 p.m. BCA and Sheriff hold news conference on latest developments

(Check back for updates as more details are released in the investigation)

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