Erica Pawlusiak Crossman, a 41-year-old woman from Pawlet, Vermont, was one of three family members found dead in their home on Vermont Route 133 on September 15, 2024. Troopers responding to a call about a suspicious person discovered Erica, her husband Brian Crossman Sr., 46, and her 13-year-old son Colin Taft deceased. The medical examiner determined Erica died of a single gunshot wound to the head; all three deaths were ruled homicides.

Investigators focused on a family member after the reported suspicious person was identified as Erica’s 23-year-old stepson, Brian Crossman Jr. He was found with his clothes covered in blood and initially told police he had been out walking and returned to find the victims, saying the blood resulted from moving his father’s body. Authorities said blood patterns and other evidence inside the home contradicted that account.

Family members told police the younger Crossman had long-standing mental health struggles and a strained relationship with his father; Erica had reportedly feared being alone in the house with him. Vermont State Police said they had significant evidence, including digital information and interviews, and arrested Brian Crossman Jr. in Granville, New York on three counts of aggravated murder. Does anyone in Pawlet have additional information about the family or that weekend visit?