In the quiet town of Pawlet, Vermont, the life of 13-year-old Colin James Taft, a White male, was tragically cut short on September 15, 2024. The young boy was discovered deceased in his home on Vermont Route 133, the victim of a triple homicide that also claimed the lives of his mother, 41-year-old Erica Crossman, and his stepfather, 46-year-old Brian Crossman Sr.
The investigation into the grim discovery began after police received a call about a suspicious person in the area.
Autopsies later revealed that Colin died from multiple gunshot wounds. His mother succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head, and his stepfather died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso. All three deaths were officially ruled as homicides by the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner's Office. The community was left shaken by the violent event that took the lives of the family, including Brian Crossman Sr., who was a serving member of the Pawlet selectboard.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, Brian Crossman Jr., the 23-year-old son of Brian Crossman Sr. and Colin's stepbrother. Just days after the bodies were found, on September 20, 2024, Vermont State Police announced that an arrest warrant had been issued for Crossman Jr. on three counts of aggravated murder. He was taken into custody in Granville, New York, where he resided.
Evidence gathered by investigators, including digital information and various interviews, pointed toward Crossman Jr.'s involvement in the killings. Court documents revealed that Crossman Jr. himself had called the police to the scene, claiming he had returned home from a walk to find his family dead. He was found with blood on his clothes, which he alleged was from an attempt to move his father's body. Further investigation into his phone and internet history reportedly uncovered research into serial killers and unresolved murders. Family members indicated a troubled relationship between Crossman Jr. and his father, citing mental health issues. Days before the murders, Erica Crossman had expressed feeling unsafe with her stepson in the house. Brian Crossman Jr. is being held without bail pending extradition to Vermont to face the charges against him.
