A New York man was arrested after allegedly murdering his father, stepmother and her young son inside their once-cozy Vermont cottage earlier this week.
Brian Crossman Jr., 22, is accused of fatally shooting his father, also Brian Crossman, 46, stepmom, Erica, 41 and her teenage son, Colin Taft, 13, at the couple’s Vermont home on Sunday morning.
The Granville native was taken into custody by New York State Police on Friday and was charged with three counts of aggravated homicide.
Following his arrest Crossman Jr. appeared in Warren County Court in Lake George where he was held without bail pending his extradition to Vermont.
The motive for the killings remain unclear as police say their prime suspect called 911 to report the incident. He told investigators he had gone for a walk and returned home to find his family dead, WCAX reported.
Brian Crossman Jr., 22, is accused of fatally shooting his father, also Brian Crossman, 46, stepmom, Erica, 41 and her teenage son, Colin Taft, 13, at the couple’s Vermont home on Sunday morning
The motive for the killings remain unclear as police say their prime suspect called 911 to report the incident telling police he had gone for a walk and returned home to find his family dead
The Granville native was taken into custody by New York State Police on Friday and was charged with three counts of aggravated homicide. Pictured: Crossman Jr.’s stepmom, Erica, and her son, Colin
Investigators quickly found inconsistencies in the 22-year-old’s story as police found the now-prime suspect in blood-covered clothes at a school near his Vermont home.
Family members told the outlet that Crossman Jr. had a complicated relationship with his father, who had just been elected to the Pawlet Select Board.
Crossman Jr. was diagnosed with a learning disability, a history of mental health issues and has had aggressive episodes in the past, relatives said.
Police also said that a search of Crossman Jr.’s phone revealed searches related to serial killers and cold case murders.
A neighbor and relative of Crossman claimed the farm where the murders happened had been in the family for generations.
They also said Crossman and his wife, who married in June, recently took control of the farm from Crossman’s sister.
A neighbor and relative of Crossman claimed the farm where the murders happened had been in the family for generations
Family members told the outlet that Crossman Jr. had a convoluted relationship with his father, who had just been elected to the Pawlet Select Board
‘I think he was just trying to make a new start and trying to run the family farm. And, yeah, this just is, like, the last thing I expected,’ the source told Vermont News & Media.
Pawlet is a town of about 1,400 near the New York state line.
Crossman’s place at the table in the board’s meeting on Tuesday was filled with flowers. The select board is in charge of overseeing the town’s spending and enacting of ordinances.
‘Brian Crossman was a friend and neighbor, a hardworking community member who just this year stepped up to join the Pawlet Select board,’ chairman Mike Beecher said in a statement.
‘This tragedy that struck him and his family has also hit our community hard, and we are shaken and grieving. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this devastating loss.’