The producers moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Terror in the Woods is an entertainment program and that Weste signed a release acknowledging the content was for "dramatic purposes."
In a key ruling, the judge noted that while the timing was tragic, there was no direct evidence that the TV show caused Cody to pick up a hammer. The wrongful death lawsuit was ultimately dismissed in late 2023, though the family has indicated they may appeal.
Weste appeared in the Season 1 episode of Terror in the Woods titled "The Hand on the Attic Door," which aired in late 2017. In the episode, he was featured alongside his friend Kenney. The pair investigated a creepy, isolated cabin in the woods of Colorado, recounting experiences with shadow figures and unexplained phenomena.
Viewers noted Weste’s youthful energy and his genuine trepidation regarding the paranormal events he claimed to witness. For many fans, seeing a young person enthusiastic about the unknown made his passing less than a year later all the more heartbreaking. how did weste erickson from terror in the woods die
The lawsuit alleges that the show’s production team re-traumatized Weste Erickson and effectively placed a target on his back. According to court filings:
In July 2019, Cody Erickson was tried for first-degree murder. The prosecution laid out a grim timeline: The two brothers had been drinking together. An argument erupted—the nature of which remains contested, though witnesses suggested it involved jealousy over a family member or a long-simmering sibling rivalry.
Unlike the sensationalized version of events that would later air on Terror in the Woods, the real death of Weste Erickson was brutally mundane. It was not a cryptid attack, a skinwalker’s curse, or a forest demon. It was a violent altercation between two brothers intoxicated in a suburban home. The producers moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing
Cody Erickson was convicted of first-degree murder. In August 2019, he was sentenced to more than 26 years in prison (320 months). He is currently incarcerated at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
Before discussing his death, it is crucial to understand the man.
Weste Erickson was a resident of Washington state. In the context of Terror in the Woods, he was portrayed as a seasoned outdoorsman and a believer in the paranormal. He appeared on the show to recount a terrifying camping trip he allegedly took with friends near Lake Crescent in the Olympic Peninsula. In the episode, he was featured alongside his friend Kenney
In the episode, Erickson claims that the group was stalked by a terrifying creature—described as a "Stick Indian" or a "Tall Man"—a malevolent entity from indigenous folklore. He described hearing impossible footsteps, seeing glowing eyes in the treeline, and feeling a suffocating, predatory dread. The show heavily implied that this traumatic encounter with the supernatural left psychological scars.
But the reality of Weste Erickson’s life, and ultimately his death, had nothing to do with monsters in the woods.