Volp’s body found
By LISA M. HOFFMANN, Staff WriterArticle Photos
MARINETTE, Wis. - Officials have positively identified the body found in a creek in Dunbar on Monday as Eric M. Volp of Iron Mountain.
At a press conference Thursday, law enforcement officials said Volp died an unnatural death that can be classified as suspicious.
Volp, 28, was reported missing in October 2008.
Marinette County Sheriff Jim Kanikula said the body was discovered in K.C. Creek in the town of Dunbar. K.C. Creek crosses U.S. Highway 8 and is located approximately 1.5 miles from the town of Dunbar, approximately 20 miles from Iron Mountain.
Kanikula said the body was found some 150 yards south of the bridge by a trout fisherman on Monday.
Marinette County Chief Deputy Jerry Sauve said Volp's body was identified by a unique tattoo and dental records.
"Iron Mountain Police Department did a wonderful job on their missing persons case. Fortunately the tattoo was preserved," Sauve said.
He said the tattoo on the back of Volp's neck was distinctive - two faces, one smiling one frowning. Dental records were also examined. The body was partially clothed.
The case is an ongoing investigation by Marinette County law enforcement and the Iron Mountain Police Department. Police are referring to the death as unnatural, but not a homicide.
Kanikula said the forensic pathologist's opinion after the examination of the body, confirmed the remains could have been in the creek since last October.
He added the doctor's findings are consistent with the nine-month time frame since Volp was reported missing.
Although the cause of death is listed as undetermined, officials said it was not from drowning.
Kanikula also said there was significant trauma to the remains.
Sauve said there were fractured bones, and "due to decomposition they were not completely intact." The autopsy results show Volp had some broken bones. Volp suffered blunt trauma to his chest, some trauma to his head and several broken bones but the exact cause of death is unknown.
Several tissue samples have been taken from Volp's body and will be submitted to the Wisconsin Crime Lab. Any new information on what type of drugs or alcohol, if any, were in his system could take four to six weeks.
Police said there is no person of interest at this time, but they are not ruling out foul play.
Marinette County Sheriff's Department will continue to work with the Iron Mountain Police Department.
When it is determined where the crime was committed, if in fact a crime did occur, charges will be determined by the prosecuting attorney in Michigan or the district attorney in Wisconsin.
Iron Mountain Police Chief Pete Flaminio confirmed Volp was last seen on foot and alone at the North Stables Pub in Iron Mountain. He had made numerous calls of short duration between 2:19 a.m. and 2:42 a.m. Oct. 12.
Flaminio said the last call was at 2:42 a.m. with no calls made after that time. Because of the short duration of the calls, police do not believe Volp made contact with anyone he called.
Volp's cell phone was never recovered.
Police said numerous people, including bartenders, were contacted and all leads were followed-up, resulting in unconfirmed sightings.
Police do not believe Volp, who was insulin dependent, ever made it back to his Iron Mountain apartment.
Kanikula said they are not going to rule out any possibilities.
Police said the heavily-wooded area where the body was found makes for a difficult investigation because of the tall grass, big ants, and numerous trees. The area continues to be searched for evidence.
Flaminio said there is no indication of foul play other than Volp disappeared. What crossed investigators' minds is Volp got a ride.
"He was somebody that would engage in conversation," Flaminio said.
Volp's family members, including his aunt, Maria Volp of Iron Mountain, were notified of the identification prior to the press conference on Thursday. Maria Volp told The Daily News the family is grateful Volp's body has finally been found.
"Finding his body does not give closure, but it does comfort us to be able to put him to rest in a more worthy place," she said. "Finding his body will also allow police to investigate his disappearance and death once again to hopefully find answers as to who caused it."
Volp was a nearly lifelong resident of New Berlin, Wis., and moved to Iron Mountain in December 2007 to live with his aunt.
"He came here to build work skills and gain some job experience," Maria Volp explained. "During the 10 months he was here, he gained experience not only in work skills, but also in his faith, going to church regularly."
The Volp family held a memorial at the end of October when they assumed he had died.
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:27 AM
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I never really took jimmy as all knowing. I also don't think his information was wrong.
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Locality
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07-10-09 12:23 AM
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Big Duke said: "Locality why are you such a loudmouth? I was in on here a couple of days ago reading posts that were really nothing by you taking shots a people." I say: I am only taking shots at Jimmy because he's says he is a journalist but we have no idea where he is getting his information from or if it is true. I asked him where he studied journalism and he didn't answer. And I am actually a rather quiet person. And taking shots at no one else. I'm not sure why Jimmy needs to portray himself as "The All Knowing."
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sugarbaby
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07-10-09 12:22 AM
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Locality...Read my theories...What do you make of them...Pretty good I hope you would say..
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updingo
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07-10-09 12:21 AM
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what made this person turn in the hat a week later? don't understand that part
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:21 AM
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The police looked into the hat very thoroughly. But they were right when they said, the hat could have been there for a long time. But they were interested in the person with the hat, not so much the hat itself.
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:20 AM
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That's very nice. Big 10 means nothing unless you are talking sports. I just remember you getting into it with butterman about being a journalist a long time ago.
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sugarbaby
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07-10-09 12:18 AM
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Well right there...thats a big OOPS!!!!..Why would someone hold onto a hat that they pick up off the street for a week and then decide to go to the police with it...Don't get it...I fully believe these cops here didnt give a*****or 2 ***** about this VOLP or these people would have been thoroughly questioned...even with a lie detector test...whatever it took to get the truth...but i think they didnt want to hear it
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Locality
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07-10-09 12:17 AM
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Big Duke said: Locality, wasn't there a post somewhere that said you are a journalist? I say: In the 80's I worked TV news. It's been over 20 years. I have a journalism degree from a Big 10 University. I no longer consider myself a journalist. There are better ways to make a living.
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updingo
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07-10-09 12:16 AM
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fitch, jimmy is not even on here! who you hollering at????????
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:16 AM
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I think the police have the hat. And they have talked to the person that found it. I think they searched that person's house too.
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:15 AM
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The person that had the hat, had it for more than a week.
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sugarbaby
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07-10-09 12:14 AM
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I wonder if the police still have that hat or not...It would be great to match it up to his dna if it is volps...I hope they do that
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:14 AM
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And try to understand. Even in rough cities, adult males don't just get abducted from outside buildings along downtown strips.
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sugarbaby
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07-10-09 12:12 AM
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I don't believe it was there either...I mean I thought it was turned in to the police in the middle of the day or towards night time...I remember that there were customers coming and going that day and this one person out of how many that dined there comes up with the hat...Hell NO...that should have been red flag NUMBER 1
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:11 AM
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Try to focus on the hat. Really think about it this way: All of the sudden after it was learned Eric went to B's a lot, a hat turns up. And for the story to take another twist, the person that found it, knew Eric.
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:09 AM
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I know that hat was not at B's Cafe.
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sugarbaby
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07-10-09 12:06 AM
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The hat deal was to get everyone confused more and more...It was done out of spite if it was his hat to begin with...they should be able to test it know after having the dna sample to see if it really was his hat...if not..i would go back to the person that turned it in and start with her
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trackside
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07-10-09 12:04 AM
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I'm kinda on the same page too,, not sure about the hat tho
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:02 AM
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The people involved in this knew Eric. Including the person that found the hat.
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BigDuke
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07-10-09 12:01 AM
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He was inside the bar. He stayed there until bar time. He tried to call for a ride after 2 am but didn't get a hold of anyone.
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sugarbaby
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07-09-09 11:58 PM
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Oh and let me add the ending to my theory...I believe it was 2 people in the car besides Eric and possibly knew him a bit and knew that he liked to go to B's Cafe...Whose to say they didnt go dump him off here at this little creek thinking that no one would find him...which that was almost pulled off..but a week later or whenever the hat was found it wasnt them throwing it out the window there to make people think he was there..
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BigDuke
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07-09-09 11:56 PM
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Eric came to Iron Mountain because he was causing problems with this family. He wasn't running from anyone, just the Milwaukee rave scene and a crowd he didn't know how to get out of on his own. Eric was basically a lowlife with problems. He didn't have the social skills, the money, nor the sense to be involved in anything big that would get him killed. he did tend to make people mad when he was drunk though.
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sugarbaby
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07-09-09 11:54 PM
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Nope Fitch78....I have my own theory of what happened to him and this is what I think...I believe he did go inside the Stables Bar...But I believe it had nothing to do with drugs or anything like that...He was just getting mouthy from what I recall...I believe he got a good ass whooping in that bar in the back room and he was hauled out the side door to the parking lot into a car there...thats my theory
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fitch78
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07-09-09 11:51 PM
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Here is probably what happened! He moved back from a big town to this area for what? He had no friends here just a aunt! He must have got mixed up with something down in Milwaukee and ran into trouble and moved up here! It has to be drug related! Does that solve your theory jimmy? Don't have to be a CSI agent to figure this out! R.I.P. Eric
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sugarbaby
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07-09-09 11:51 PM
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Yeah Locality..Since your on here sounding off about everyone and not the subject...why don't you enlighten us with your journalistic experiences and tell us what you think happened to Volp
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