On the morning of Sunday, September 15, 2024, 41-year-old Erica Crossman, a White woman recently married to Brian Crossman Sr., was found shot to death in the family home on Route 133 in Pawlet, Vermont. Her husband, a recently elected member of the Pawlet Selectboard, and her 13-year-old son, Colin Taft, were also found killed at the scene. An autopsy confirmed Erica died of a gunshot wound to the head; Colin suffered multiple gunshot wounds and Brian Sr. died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Investigators say multiple shotguns were removed from a gun cabinet in the home and used in the killings. Attention quickly focused on 23-year-old Brian Crossman Jr., the stepson who was visiting for the weekend. Police report digital evidence, statements and interviews pointed to his involvement, and his blood-covered clothing and inconsistencies in his account raised investigators’ concerns. He was taken into custody in Granville, New York and charged with three counts of aggravated murder. Erica had reportedly told a family friend in the days before the massacre that she feared being alone with her stepson.

Did anyone in the Pawlet area see or hear anything unusual on the night of September 14 into the morning of September 15?