VT - Suspicious deaths in Pawlet under investigation

[justtrish]

UPDATE: Son of Brian Crossman arrested on three counts of aggravated murder

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. — Brian Crossman Jr., 23, of Granville, New York has been arrested on three counts of aggravated murder arising from the fatal shootings of his father, 46-year-old Brian Crossman Sr.; his stepmother, 41-year-old Erica (Pawlusiak) Crossman; and his 13-year-old stepbrother, Colin...

www.reformer.com

Very detailed article about the crime scene, amd the suspects behavior and mental health.

Seems like the firearms all came from within the home:
"In a “gun room” adjacent to the bedroom, officers found “one firearm safe and two firearm cabinets and numerous other firearms.” "

My word that was hard to read.

He never should have been staying with his dad. I think it's very telling that his mother didn't want to leave him home alone when she went out of town. He is an adult and so clearly there were major concerns and he hadn't stayed over night at his dads house in years.. likely because he's an adult. His step mom was afraid to be alone with him. His dad worked a job where he was on call and was called out several times leaving his son alone with his wife and step son. Then when the mother was asked if he could do something like this, she said yes and he's proficient with firearms. He had just had a mental breakdown a month ago.


So a few things I noted were he said he went for a walk about 12 Dad is called out just after 12 for a call.. so did he kill his step mom and step brother while his dad was on that call? I don't even want to think about why his step mom was naked. I know some people sleep naked, but I think with an adult son of your husband staying at the house, likely not going to do that. Sheets were off the bed and she's killed and naked on the bed. Then dad is killed downstairs.. so did he kill step mom and step brother and then wait for his dad to return and confront him in the doorway or in the kitchen.. WHAT is up with the chainsaw and the wagon?

What was he trying to do?

I think if we know what time his dad finished that call he went to around midnight then we might have a better idea. If he killed the other 2 just after dad leaves and then dad arrives home at say 2am.. he didn't call police till 345 so was he trying to clean up? Was he trying to stage a murder/suicide so people would think his dad did it while he was off walking?

 

[Parsnip]

Moo...maybe it is a child from previous marriage..moo

Well spotted, @nao !

 

[Knox]

VINELink

vinelink.vineapps.com

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Decades ago, JeanMarie Oakman served as Brian Crossman’s teacher and principal during her tenure at Wells Village School.
She said Crossman was a “humble, sweet, gentle boy,” the kind of kid who made others feel at home at the small, rural school.
“He looked after all of his cousins and relatives. He was so kind to his sister,” Oakman said, noting that Crossman was part of a large “salt of the Earth” family.
After falling out of touch, she said, she caught up with Crossman at a wedding in recent years, and she “beamed with pride” to see how well he was doing.
“Imagine, he wanted to sit with his old teaching principal,” she recalled. “I remember leaving that wedding thinking, ‘what a remarkable human being’.”

Suspect arrested in Pawlet triple homicide - Mountain Times

Staff report

mountaintimes.info

Sooo unbelievable...

 

[Knox]

In a brief court appearance at the Warren County Courthouse, Brian Crossman Jr., 23 of Granville, sat slumped in his chair, his face expressionless as he nodded yes to the judge that he understood his rights, choosing not to fight extradition from New York to Vermont.

The judge set a control date of October 23rd to determine if the transfer to Vermont had occurred.

Man accused of killing family in Pawlet extradited to Vermont

The man accused of a brutal triple murder of his own family in Vermont appeared in court Thursday afternoon, waiving his right to an extradition hearing.

cbs6albany.com

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Everything is quite client up here
But, all in all, it is all so clear with these murders.
Just so sad how this tranquil neighborhood has been shaken.

 

[acutename]

My word that was hard to read.

He never should have been staying with his dad. I think it's very telling that his mother didn't want to leave him home alone when she went out of town. He is an adult and so clearly there were major concerns and he hadn't stayed over night at his dads house in years.. likely because he's an adult. His step mom was afraid to be alone with him. His dad worked a job where he was on call and was called out several times leaving his son alone with his wife and step son. Then when the mother was asked if he could do something like this, she said yes and he's proficient with firearms. He had just had a mental breakdown a month ago.


So a few things I noted were he said he went for a walk about 12 Dad is called out just after 12 for a call.. so did he kill his step mom and step brother while his dad was on that call? I don't even want to think about why his step mom was naked. I know some people sleep naked, but I think with an adult son of your husband staying at the house, likely not going to do that. Sheets were off the bed and she's killed and naked on the bed. Then dad is killed downstairs.. so did he kill step mom and step brother and then wait for his dad to return and confront him in the doorway or in the kitchen.. WHAT is up with the chainsaw and the wagon?

What was he trying to do?

I think if we know what time his dad finished that call he went to around midnight then we might have a better idea. If he killed the other 2 just after dad leaves and then dad arrives home at say 2am.. he didn't call police till 345 so was he trying to clean up? Was he trying to stage a murder/suicide so people would think his dad did it while he was off walking?

"Can Brian stay with you this weekend?"
"NO."
what ever happened to No?

 

[Parsnip]

He is back in VT and was arraigned.

Upstate NY man pleads not guilty to killing 3 family members in Vermont

He told police that he was covered in blood because he tried to drag his father’s body away to take it to a relative’s home.

www.syracuse.com

Eta link to affidavit: https://wnyt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Vermont-Triple-Homicide-Affidavit.pdf

 

[Parsnip]

It took me about two hours to read that affidavit. This case is obviously not a whodunnit but more of a system failure situation. No doubt that Jr has been seriously mentally ill for some time. No doubt that he never should have been anywhere near firearms. No doubt that he was in need of antipsychotics, regardless of how they made him feel. IMO, this horrid situation was preventable. What anguish for the family :-(.

 

[tlcya]

Facebook Pages - Pictures of the farm on both

Brian

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www.facebook.com

Erica

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www.facebook.com

what an adorable looking couple. Just tragic. Off to catch up to speed on this one.

 

[Parsnip]

what an adorable looking couple. Just tragic. Off to catch up to speed on this one.

You can just read the affidavit first, @tlcya . It will save you time, but it is gut wrenching. Be advised. Ugh. Moo.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

what an adorable looking couple. Just tragic. Off to catch up to speed on this one.

Basically, my backyard here, so this one really hit me hard from the get go. And Dad, Brian's FB only confirmed the pain
BUT, even looking back at the younger pictures of Brian Jr on the FB posts...it just looked like he was a sad kid, even way back.
My guess, is that there was family love here...but that allowed for much too much tolerance for a very disturbed individual.

 

[Parsnip]

My guess, is that there was family love here...but that allowed for much too much tolerance for a very disturbed individual.

You nailed it.

ETA: you don’t fail to provide insulin for a diabetic child. Likewise with mental health care, you don’t tell your child that he doesn’t have to take medication because he doesn’t like how it makes him feel. Ime, there are a lot of high functioning schizophrenics in our communities who are able to function precisely because of antipsychotic medications and therapy. All moo and ime.

 

[tlcya]

It took me about two hours to read that affidavit. This case is obviously not a whodunnit but more of a system failure situation. No doubt that Jr has been seriously mentally ill for some time. No doubt that he never should have been anywhere near firearms. No doubt that he was in need of antipsychotics, regardless of how they made him feel. IMO, this horrid situation was preventable. What anguish for the family :-(.

this is horrible. This young man has been sick for a long long time and almost surely could have benefited from antipsychotics MOO. This case is already triggering me and it's only just begun. I recognize some of Jr.'s behaviors unfortunately. I may not be able to follow this one. It is hitting too close to home for me.

My heart is broken for this family.

 

[tlcya]

I think there is often very little one can do to get help for a large, violent child living in their home. Psych holds are generally 72 hours, the police can't keep them in jail until they commit a serious crime, you can't force them to take their meds and group homes and residential care are often on wait lists or not covered by insurance. Our system's way of dealing with mentally ill violent youth is to do little to nothing until a serious crime is committed.

all of this IME

 

[Dotta]

He was sooo scary

Wife was really afraid of him,
and no wonder!

What a pity the father had to go to work that weekend
(I'm not sure what kind of job was it)

The wife and her young son were left at the mercy of a violent madman
Shivers!!!
They stood no chance.

And the perp had opportunity to prepare the trap for father as well.
And killed him too.

RIP to poor victims.

JMO

 

[Parsnip]

What a pity the father had to go to work that weekend

He knew he was on call that weekend. He left his new wife and son with an unmedicated schizophrenic and violent child. His wife had admitted being afraid, per the affidavit. Idk what to say. All moo.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

He was sooo scary

Wife was really afraid of him,
and no wonder!

What a pity the father had to go to work that weekend
(I'm not sure what kind of job was it)

The wife and her young son were left at the mercy of a violent madman
Shivers!!!
They stood no chance.

And the perp had opportunity to prepare the trap for father as well.
And killed him too.

RIP to poor victims.

JMO

He was a lineman, and OnCall. Jr.'s bio mom was afraid to leave him alone in HER house, where Jr. was living. She and her husband were travelling that weekend.

 

[Dotta]

He was a lineman, and OnCall. Jr.'s bio mom was afraid to leave him alone in HER house, where Jr. was living. She and her husband were travelling that weekend.

Interesting
that bio mother and the stepfather were safe from the cunning of the perp.

But,
the first chance he got to be with father and his new family,
he decided to annihilate them.

I would have gone to the hotel with the kid.
I would be absolutely terrified of this individual.
And the poor wife seemed to have premonition of disaster.

Honestly,
Words fail me

Nobody should be blackmailed by sick people who refuse to take meds

JMO

 

[Parsnip]

He was a lineman, and OnCall. Jr.'s bio mom was afraid to leave him alone in HER house, where Jr. was living. She and her husband were travelling that weekend.

Bio mom was afraid to leave him alone at her house. She sent him to his bio dad’s house. Presumably so that he would be secure. What the heck? If bio mom knew he was unstable, even if she thought he would be supervised by bio dad and his new wife, why would she knowingly leave him to be supervised in a house where guns were present? She had to know better. IMO.