In the quiet community of Clarksville, New York, the life of 49-year-old Lisa L. Larson was tragically cut short on November 5, 2019. A graduate of Cuba Central School, Lisa was known as an exceptionally hardworking individual who found joy in her family, friends, and the outdoors. She was an employee at Cooper Industries in Olean and a mother to five children.
On that November day, both Lisa and her 67-year-old husband, William J.
Larson Sr., were found deceased at their home on Courtney Hollow Road. The grim discovery was made after firefighters responded to a fire at the residence. It was soon determined that their deaths were not accidental, but the result of a violent act; both had been shot with a rifle in their driveway.
The investigation quickly centered on a suspect close to home: their 17-year-old son, William J. Larson Jr. He was present when firefighters arrived but left the scene before police could question him, sparking a manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The teenager was apprehended later that day in a wooded area. In the weeks leading up to the incident, neighbors had noticed a change in the young man, who had reportedly dropped out of high school and was exhibiting unusual behavior.
William J. Larson Jr. was subsequently charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree manslaughter. In February 2020, a grand jury indicted him on charges including murder, attempted arson, and concealment of a human corpse. After delays in the legal proceedings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, William J. Larson Jr. pleaded guilty in October 2022 to the second-degree murder of his mother, Lisa Larson, and first-degree manslaughter in the death of his father. His defense attorney indicated plans to argue for a more lenient sentence under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, alleging that the teen had been a victim of domestic abuse. In March 2025, William Larson Jr. was sentenced, receiving 15 years to life for the murder of his mother and a concurrent 20-year sentence for the death of his father.
