In the quiet town of Pawlet, Vermont, a grim discovery was made in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 15, 2024, at a farmhouse on Route 133. The home belonged to Brian Crossman Sr., a 46-year-old white male and a respected member of the Pawlet Selectboard. Inside, law enforcement found a scene of violence that had claimed the lives of Crossman, his wife Erica Crossman, 41, and her 13-year-old son, Colin Taft. The medical examiner would later determine that Brian Crossman Sr.
died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso. His death, along with the deaths of his wife and stepson, was ruled a homicide.
The investigation into the triple homicide quickly focused on a person of interest who was a relative of the victims. This individual was identified as Brian Crossman Jr., the 22-year-old son of Brian Crossman Sr., from Granville, New York. The younger Crossman had been staying with his father's family for the weekend. According to police, he made calls to 911 and family members around 3:30 a.m. on the morning of the killings. When a Vermont State Police corporal met with him outside an elementary school around 4 a.m., his clothes were covered in blood. He initially told police he had been for a long walk and returned to find his family members deceased.
However, inconsistencies in his story and evidence at the scene led investigators to believe he was responsible. Police allege that Brian Crossman Jr. used several shotguns he took from a gun cabinet to shoot each family member multiple times. Investigators found the bodies of Erica Crossman and her son Colin in their respective bedrooms, while Brian Crossman Sr.'s body appeared to have been dragged into a mudroom. The elder Crossman, an employee of Green Mountain Power, had returned home from a late-night service call shortly before 1 a.m.
Following the investigation, Vermont State Police obtained an arrest warrant for Brian Crossman Jr. on three counts of aggravated murder. He was taken into custody in New York and faced initial charges there as a fugitive from justice before extradition proceedings to Vermont began. Family members told investigators that the younger Crossman had exhibited concerning behavior and signs of mental illness for years leading up to the tragic event. The small community of Pawlet was left shaken and grieving the loss of a hardworking community member and his family.
