PAWLET, Vt. (TCN) — A New York man stands accused of killing his father, stepmother, and stepbrother while he was visiting them in Vermont.
According to Vermont State Police, on Sunday, Sept. 15, troopers received a report of a “suspicious person” and responded to a home on Vermont Route 133. An affidavit reviewed by VTDigger alleges 22-year-old Brian Crossman Jr. called police in the early hours and said he found three relatives deceased with gunshot wounds. Crossman Jr. reportedly met with police in a parking lot driving his father’s vehicle, and officers noticed bloodstains on his clothes.
Authorities found 46-year-old Brian Crossman Sr., 41-year-old Erica Pawlusiak Crossman, and Pawlusiak Crossman’s son, 13-year-old Colin Taft, deceased at the residence. Troopers said Crossman Sr. died of gunshot wounds to the head and torso, Pawlusiak Crossman’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and Taft died of multiple gunshot wounds. Their deaths were ruled homicides. State Police said they believe the shooting occurred early Sunday morning on Sept. 15.
Crossman Jr. reportedly spoke with investigators and said he went for a walk and then found his family members dead. Crossman Jr. allegedly resides with his mother in Granville, New York, but had been staying with his dad and stepmother for the weekend. Crossman Sr. and Pawlusiak purportedly got married over the summer.
According to VTDigger, the affidavit states that at least two guns used in the shooting were stored in a gun room at the home. Family members told authorities about Crossman Jr.’s alleged mental health issues, and the suspect’s grandmother said Crossman Jr. had “a troubled relationship” with his father. The grandmother also reportedly said Crossman Jr. is “proficient with firearms.”
In an update posted Sept. 20, Vermont State Police announced that they obtained an arrest warrant for Crossman Jr. on three counts of aggravated murder. New York State Police located Crossman Jr. and took him into custody.
Crossman Sr. served on the Pawlet Select Board as the liaison to buildings and development and the liaison to town highway development.