The Murder of Erin Chorney
For this episode, I watched an episode of Blood Lies and Alibis. It’s season 1 episode 8, titled ‘The Bad-Tempered Boyfriend.’
This case was crazy, and I’ve never heard of another case quite like it. An 18 year old disappears, and it takes the police several years and an undercover operation to find answers.
Background
Erin Chorney
Erin Chorney was an 18 year old, who lived in Brandon, Manitoba, when she disappeared. She was very close to her family, and even though her parents divorced, she spent an equal amount of time with both of them.
Erin’s parents, Debbie and Darcy described her as being outgoing and rebellious, so much so that they had a few problems with her being so rebellious. She was wanting to constantly be with her friends, which we’ve all been there as teenagers. Erin also liked to party, but it didn’t seem like it was out of hand, she just wanted to be with her friends.
Disappearance
On April 27, 2002, Debbie and Darcy went into the Brandon, Manitoba police to file a missing persons report. Their daughter had gone missing about a week ago, and they hadn’t heard from her since.
Debbie said she last saw Erin on April 21. She said Erin had gotten a phone call to go and meet a friend for coffee, sometime in the afternoon, and that was the last time she was seen by her mom and sister, Lesli.
Erin was supposed to come home that night, or at least call when she was going to be coming home late. She didn’t call, and her parents were alarmed, but not enough to call the police right away.
It wasn’t until a week later when Erin’s parents filed the missing persons report. The police started their investigation right away, and started investigating Erin’s family and close friends, which brought them to her on and off again boyfriend, Michael Bridges.
Michael Bridges
Michael was brought in for questioning, and he said he was in fact with Erin on April 21. He said everything was great, and that Erin left around 11:30pm to go to another friend’s house. He said he didn’t know what happened to her that night.
Michael was described as being controlling and abusive to Erin. Erin’s family and friends told her to stay away from him, but she didn’t listen.
On March 10, 2002, Michael, Erin and one of their friends had gone out drinking, and went back to Michael’s. Michael and Erin started fighting, and Michael grabbed Erin by the throat. Erin’s friend tried to stop it, and she too was thrown across the room. Michael’s mom was the one to finally break up the fight and drive Erin and the friend home.
The police believed they were on the right track. Michael’s answers seemed to have been rehearsed, and he showed no emotion. He also declined to take a polygraph test. There was no evidence that Michael had done anything to Erin, so he was let go.
Michael was under surveillance, his phone calls were tapped, and the police obtained warrants for his car and house to be searched. Again, no evidence was found. The only item found in Michael’s house was a note that he had written with notes on the details of April 21 and if he were to be questioned, so his answers probably were rehearsed.
The Letters
In spring 2003, a letter was delivered to the Chorney house. In the letter, the writer claimed to know what happened to Erin. They also wrote I’m sorry for what he did, claiming they know who killed her, as well. The letter was looked at for any possible finger prints and DNA. Nothing was found.
Another letter was found in a public restroom. This letter said that the writer was sorry, and that a friend tried to urge them to go to the police. The writer also taunted the police that they were close to finding Erin’s body. So, this time it seemed like the author was the killer and that they were in fact confirming that Erin was dead. The note also suggested that Erin was buried.
The police wrote ads in the paper, urging the author to come forward. A final letter was written. The author said that Erin was dead and that they had seen the burial site.
The police still believed that Michael was their killer, so they contacted the Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) to set up a sting operation, known as The Big Boss or Mr. Big.
The Sting Operation
On September 23, 2003, the first act of the sting operation was in full swing. A female detective delivered a flyer to Michael. The flyer was a radio survey, where the winner would win tickets to a NHL game in Calgary. Michael signed up, and he was notified a few days later that he won.
Michael went to the game, and went to a strip club after. Seems like a lovely person, doesn’t he? At the strip club, he met another contest “winner,” who was really an undercover police officer. They seemed to hit it off, and continued to hang out, the police followed them everywhere.
The undercover cop, which they named Brock, and Michael went to a small town Northwest of Brandon, and Brock showed Michael their operation.
The two of them met regularly, most of the time for coffee and lunch. One day Brock got a call from the “boss.” Brock was able to talk Michael into helping him in this operation, only Michael was told to move up in the operation, he had to confess his past to the “boss.”
The next scene that was set up was some money was stolen from the organization, and Brock had to pretend to beat up a woman, who was another police officer. They met at a sketchy motel room and really went all Hollywood on it, as this is how it was described. Brock came out with bloodied knuckles, and Michael seemed to be buying it.
The final part of the operation was Brock getting Michael to do a practice run of his interview with the “boss.” Brock recorded the whole conversation.
Michael said the incident was an accident. Michael never named Erin by name, but he said she was the aggressor, so he pushed her and she fell. Brock told Michael that he needed more information. Michael changed his story, and said he had choked, killed and buried Erin in a cemetery.
Michael even took Brock to the cemetery, and later the police began their search of recovering Erin’s body. It took a few searches, but they did recover a blanket, which Michael said he had wrapped Erin in. She had been found after two years.
The Meeting
On February 12, 2004, in a Winnipeg hotel, Michael thought he was going to be meeting the "boss,” but Brock wanted to go over the story one more time. This time, the police were recording the whole thing on video.
Michael told his story, but this time he said that Erin wasn’t dead after he choked her, so he filled up his bathtub with water and held her head under the water.
Michael had no emotion while telling his story, and Brock had to remain composed.
Instead of the “boss” coming in, the Brandon police entered instead to arrest Michael Bridges.
A picture from the surveillance of Michael Bridges
Trial and Conviction
In June 2005, Michael’s trial began. Michael and Brock came face to face, as he testified.
On June 29, 2005, at 24 years old, Michael was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Other
No one has ever come forward to writing the letters.
As of December 2011, Michael was given permission to file for early parole under the faint hope clause, a clause that gives inmates with sentences of 15+ years to ask for their sentences to be reduced. I hope that whoever decides on giving him parole or not, takes a hard look at this case and denies it.
Michael also wants to be meet with Erin’s family, which they declined. Darcy Chorney said:
“There is nobody in the family who even wants to see his face, let alone hear his voice. All he’s doing is creating more hurt for the family.
”
FINAL THOUGHTS
First, Michael is a piece of shit. He seemed like it from the very beginning, abuse is not okay, assault is not okay and murder is not okay. Erin seemed like she was finally going to be done with Michael, and maybe that’s why he killed her. He killed her at 18 years old, when she had the rest of her life ahead of her.
Michael is a manipulative and heartless person, and I hope he thinks about what he did everyday. He put Erin’s family through hell for several years, and is still putting them through hell, but they finally got the closure and justice they deserve.
The author of the letters should come forward, they should have come forward before and maybe this case would have been solved faster. I believe that the author wanted to taunt the police and Erin’s family and wasn’t ever going to help them.
Sources
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/teens-family-wont-meet-with-killer-264192691.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sting-operation-helps-convict-manitoba-man-of-murder-1.548548
