In the quiet town of Pawlet, Vermont, the life of a 41-year-old Caucasian woman, Erica Pawlusiak Crossman, was brought to a tragic end on September 15, 2024. The grim discovery was made in the early morning hours after state police received a call about a suspicious person, which led them to the family's residence on Vermont Route 133. Inside the home, a horrific scene awaited the troopers: Erica, her husband Brian Crossman Sr., 46, and her 13-year-old son, Colin Taft, were all found deceased.
The medical examiner would later determine that Erica died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Both her death and the deaths of her husband and son were officially ruled as homicides.
The investigation into the triple homicide quickly focused on a member of their own family. The "suspicious person" reported to the police turned out to be Erica's stepson, Brian Crossman Jr., who was 23 years old at the time. He was found with his clothes covered in blood and initially told investigators that he had been out for a walk and returned to find his family members dead. He claimed the blood on his clothes came from an attempt to move his father's body. However, investigators found that the evidence inside the home, including blood patterns, contradicted his account of the events.
As the investigation deepened, a troubled history came to light. Family members told police about the younger Crossman's long-standing mental health challenges and a strained relationship with his father. It was revealed that Erica herself had expressed fear about being alone in the house with her stepson. He was visiting for the weekend when the killings occurred. Based on what they described as "significant evidence," including digital information and interviews, Vermont State Police secured an arrest warrant for Brian Crossman Jr. He was taken into custody in Granville, New York, and charged with three counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his father, his stepmother Erica, and his stepbrother Colin.
