Bio

Eric Charles Hanson was born on November 22, 1976. He grew up in Naperville, Illinois, in what many described as an upper-middle-class family. His father, Terrance Hanson, was a successful businessman, and the family maintained an image of stability and financial success.

Court records and witness testimony later painted a different picture of family life. Friends and relatives told investigators that Hanson frequently lied, manipulated others, and relied heavily on his parents for financial support. According to testimony, family members had held interventions because of concerns over his behavior and dishonesty.

As a teenager, Hanson had disciplinary problems. According to statements given to police, he was sent to reform school after threatening his sister, Kate. An uncle also told investigators that he once caught Hanson watching a videotape depicting the torture and killing of animals. These statements were investigative allegations and were not the basis of criminal charges.

Hanson's criminal history began long before the murders. In 1995, he pleaded guilty in Michigan to a series of home invasions in Oakland County. Because he was a first-time offender, he was allowed to serve his sentence in a boot camp program. However, after violating the terms of his probation in 1997, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

After his release, Hanson moved back to Illinois. In 1999, he pleaded guilty in DuPage County to retail theft and aggravated battery involving a store employee. He received probation and a jail sentence.

By 2005, Hanson was working as a self-employed mortgage broker. Despite portraying an image of financial success, prosecutors alleged that he had stolen money from his parents through forged checks, unauthorized credit card use, and identity theft. Reports differ on the total amount involved, with estimates ranging from more than $80,000 to approximately $140,000.

In August 2005, Kate Hanson-Tsao discovered evidence of her brother's financial fraud. According to testimony later introduced at trial, she intended to tell their father. Jennifer Williams, the surviving sister, testified that Kate told her Eric had threatened to kill her if she revealed the theft.

Murder Story

On September 28, 2005, Eric Hanson carried out one of the most notorious family murders in Illinois history. According to prosecutors, Hanson first went to the Aurora home of his sister, Katherine "Kate" Hanson-Tsao, and her husband, Jimmy Tsao. Jimmy Tsao was sitting on a loveseat watching television and using his laptop computer when he was attacked. A forensic pathologist later testified that he was likely struck from behind and never saw the attack coming. He suffered catastrophic head injuries caused by repeated blows from a pipe-like object.

Kate Hanson-Tsao fought for her life. She suffered severe head and facial injuries and defensive wounds that indicated she attempted to resist her attacker. After killing his sister and brother-in-law, prosecutors said Hanson drove to his parents' home in Naperville, where he also lived in the basement.

At approximately 11 p.m., he shot both of his parents while they slept in their bedroom. Terrance Hanson was shot in the back of the head, and Mary Hanson was shot in the face.

Authorities later alleged that Hanson attempted to conceal the crimes. He wrapped his parents' bodies and transported them from the Naperville residence to the Tsao home in Aurora in an effort to make it appear that all four murders had occurred at one location.

He also attempted to clean the Naperville home to remove evidence that a second crime scene existed. The following morning, Hanson left Illinois and boarded a flight to Los Angeles, where he visited an ex-fiancée. Some reports stated that he attended a Neil Diamond concert during the trip.

On September 29, 2005, police discovered the four bodies inside the Aurora home. The killings shocked the community and prompted a major investigation. Authorities traced Hanson's movements through cell phone records and arranged to meet him at the airport when he returned to Illinois. However, Hanson changed his plans and boarded an earlier flight.

On September 30, 2005, a Wisconsin State Trooper stopped Hanson near Portage, Wisconsin, more than 200 miles from the home of his surviving sister, Jennifer Williams. Investigators recovered important evidence from Hanson's Chevrolet TrailBlazer. Inside the vehicle, police found Jimmy Tsao's Rolex watch, Kate Hanson-Tsao's diamond wedding ring, and gloves containing traces of Terrance Hanson's blood.

Hanson was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder, along with charges including armed robbery, identity theft, home invasion, and aggravated kidnapping.

The trial began in January 2008 in DuPage County. Prosecutors argued that Hanson murdered his family to conceal his theft and fraud and to prevent them from exposing his crimes. The defense argued that investigators had focused exclusively on Hanson and lacked a confession, eyewitnesses, and the murder weapons.

On February 20, 2008, the jury found Eric Hanson guilty on all counts after approximately three hours of deliberation. One week later, on February 27, 2008, the same jury determined that Hanson should receive the death penalty. The jurors reportedly needed only about ninety minutes to reach their decision. At the time, Illinois had a moratorium on executions, meaning Hanson was sentenced to death but faced little immediate possibility of execution.

In 2011, Illinois abolished capital punishment. Governor Pat Quinn commuted the sentences of all remaining death row inmates, including Eric Hanson. His sentence was changed to natural life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Eric C. Hanson remains incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections serving four life sentences for the murders of his parents, sister, and brother-in-law.