In the quiet, early morning hours of September 15, 2024, a distressing call about a suspicious person shattered the peace in the small town of Pawlet, Vermont. This call led state police to a grim discovery at a residence on Vermont Route 133. Inside the home, they found the bodies of 13-year-old Colin Taft, a Caucasian male, his mother, Erica Crossman, 41, and his stepfather, Brian Crossman Sr., 46.
The scene was the beginning of a complex and tragic investigation into a triple homicide that would deeply affect the rural community.
Autopsies later confirmed the violent nature of their deaths. Colin had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while his mother died from a gunshot wound to the head, and his stepfather suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the head and torso. All three deaths were officially ruled as homicides. Brian Crossman Sr. was a local selectboard member, a hardworking community figure who, with his new wife Erica, had only recently taken over the family farmhouse. The news of the violent end to their lives sent shockwaves through the town, leaving friends and neighbors grieving and searching for answers. The investigation was intensive from the start, involving multiple units of the Vermont State Police, who assured the public that they believed it was an isolated event with no broader threat to the community.
The key to the investigation emerged from the very person who reported the incident. The suspect was identified as Brian Crossman Jr., the 23-year-old son of Brian Crossman Sr. and Colin's stepbrother. He had called the police and met them at a nearby school, his clothes covered in blood. He initially told investigators that he had been out for a walk and returned to find his family members deceased, claiming the blood came from his attempt to drag his father's body to get help. However, as detectives delved deeper, a different story began to unfold through digital evidence, interviews, and statements from other family members.
Just five days after the discovery, on September 20, 2024, Brian Crossman Jr. was arrested in Granville, New York. He was charged with three counts of aggravated murder. The investigation revealed a history of a troubled relationship between him and his father, linked to mental health issues. His stepmother, Erica, had reportedly told a friend just days before her death that she was afraid to be alone in the house with him. Further investigation into his internet search history uncovered research related to serial killers and unresolved murders. After his arrest, Brian Crossman Jr. was held without bail pending extradition to Vermont to face the charges.
