Eric Thomes mugshot photos chronicle DWI decline prior to Decker death [PHOTOS]

Eric Thomes: The DWI Mugshot Gallery

It now appears that Eric Thomes was the true killer of Officer Tom Decker, and that the shooting was part of a suicidal spiral that found him accruing four arrests for DWI in the previous year.

SEE ALSO: Eric Thomes Facebook page: Profile of the "person of interest" in Officer Decker's murder

You can see visual evidence of Thomes's beer-addled decline in the form of the many mugshots of him available online.
Thomes hanged himself on Wednesday after police came to question him about his possible role in Decker's death. Police later recovered the shotgun that was used to murder Decker, as well as the black van with a loud exhaust that a witness reported at the scene of the crime.

SEE ALSO: Cold Spring officer shooting: Tom Decker killed while checking on suicidal man

It's unclear what role Thomes's previous DWI arrests played in the motive for the slaying. Three of the arrests were made by Cold Spring police, but officials declined to say whether Decker was an arresting officer.

Here Eric Thomes is after getting arrested for DWI on December 15, 2011:
This picture is from Eric Thomes' arrest September 19, 2012:
And this one is from his arrest November 8, 2012:
Officer Tom Decker was killed November 29 -- three weeks after this mugshot was taken.

Here's another mugshot photo of Eric Thomes from his arrest in December -- after Decker's murder. He was scheduled to appear in court for a probation violation yesterday.
Anyone with information about Eric Thomes's behavior over the past few weeks is asked to contact the Stearns County Sheriff's Office at 1-877-782-5683.