“Unfortunately, Mr. Petersen was found in Naylors Run Park a suicide victim. Found Thursday about 3:40pm,” Officer Michael Chitwood of the Upper Darby Police Department tells HollywoodLife.com. This devastating information comes just hours after it was revealed that Erik had died, leaving his family, friends, and fans heartbroken. Erik was 38 years old. In addition the officer tells us, “We are investigating his death as a suicide. Our case is closed unless other information is presented to us.”
Just days before Erik was found dead, the the Upper Darby Police Department reported him missing on July 12 on their Twitter account. Along with his photo, the account tweeted that he might be suffering from “emotional issues” and that if anyone spotted him they should call 911 immediately. Sadly, Erik’s body was discovered just two days later, as Officer Chitwood revealed in the statement above.
Erik was the lead singer of the folk-punk band Mischief Brew, who performed their last show together on Friday, July 8 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band has a show scheduled for Saturday, July 16, in Allentown, but they have yet to confirm whether or not the show will go on without Erik. Mischief Brew was also scheduled to start a European tour at the end of July, though that remains up in the air as well until the band speaks out. For now, their social media accounts remain silent.
Below is a video from Erik’s final performance on July 8, in which he joined the band Culture Shock on stage for a song:
HollywoodLife.com has reached out to Mischief Brew for a statement. Please stay tuned for updates about this tragedy.
Our thoughts remain with Erik’s family, friends, bandmates, and fans during this incredibly difficult time.