Officers of the Tomahawk Police Department, with assistance from other local and state agencies, continue to investigate a homicide which occurred last Thursday evening in the City of Tomahawk.
According to a press release issued by the department Friday afternoon, on the evening of Nov. 16, at approximately 5:47 p.m., members of the Tomahawk Police Department were dispatched to 205 W. Mohawk Dr. in reference to a person with a gunshot wound. Officers discovered that a 52-year-old male sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Officers discovered other information that assisted in determining the caliber of bullet.
Tomahawk EMS arrived on scene and the victim was transported to Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital. The male victim, later identified as Charles L. Ramp of Tomahawk, was fatally wounded. The investigation revealed that a 32-year-old male allegedly shot Ramp in the driveway of Ramp’s home. It was discovered that the two males were familiar with each other.
The alleged shooter was identified as Eric Lee Moen of the Wausau area. Moen fled the scene of the shooting but was later located and taken into custody in Lake Hallie in Chippewa County and transported to the Lincoln County Jail.
Officers were able to develop information from Moen and recovered the firearm involved. The motive for the shooting remains unclear. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Crime Lab processed the scene and secured the evidence.
According to court records, Moen told investigators that he first thought about killing Ramp after lunch that afternoon. After arriving home from work around 4 p.m., Moen left his home in Wausau to go to Tomahawk. After stopping for gas near Merrill, he loaded a 20 gauge shotgun with five slugs and placed it in the back of his Ford Explorer. When he arrived in Tomahawk around 5 p.m., he went to Ramp’s residence but Ramp was not home. Others in the home invited him inside while he waited for Ramp to arrive home. When Ramp got home about 15 minutes later, Moen had him come outside, telling him he had a problem with his vehicle. As Ramp approached Moen’s vehicle in the driveway, Moen retrieved the shotgun and shot Ramp five times until the gun was empty. Moen then got into his vehicle and drove away.
Agents from the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations, troopers with the Wisconsin State Patrol, Deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of justice Crime Scene Response Unit all assisted with the investigation. The Tomahawk Police Department was further assisted by the Wausau Police Department, Everest Metro Police Department, Lake Hallie Police Department, Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, Tomahawk EMS and Lincoln County Corners Office.
A charge of First Degree Intentional Homicide was referred to the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office and Moen made an initial appearance in Lincoln County Circuit Court Monday. He is being held on a $1 million cash bond.
The case remains under investigation by the Tomahawk Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Tomahawk Police Department at 715-453-2121.
