Vermont town official found slain in home along with wife, teen stepson

A tiny Vermont municipality is reeling aft a subordinate of the governing committee of selectmen was recovered changeable to decease successful his location on with his woman and teenage stepson.

Brian Crossman, 46, Erica Crossman, 41, and her lad Colin Taft, 13, were identified by police connected Tuesday, and their deaths ruled homicides.

Residents of the 1,400-population municipality of Pawlet, adjacent the New York State line, were aghast and rattled.

No arrests had been made arsenic of Thursday afternoon, but constabulary said earlier successful the week determination was nary information to the community.

The shootings most apt happened precocious Saturday afternoon, constabulary told CBS affiliate WCAX. The bodies were discovered aboriginal Sunday aft idiosyncratic phoned successful a study of a “suspicious person,” which led constabulary to the gruesome scene.

Inside the location connected Vermont Route 133, cops recovered Brian Crossman suffering from gunshot wounds to the caput and torso. Erica Crossman had besides been changeable successful the head, portion Colin Taft had aggregate gunshot wounds, constabulary said.

The “suspicious person,” wearing bloody clothing, was waiting for constabulary astatine the Wells Village School adjacent and took them to the home, the Bennington Banner reported.

“There was a study of a idiosyncratic that had immoderate humor connected them that they saw connected the roadway,” Vt. State Police Maj. Dan Trudeau told WCAX. “We ended up detaining this person. [They] described getting to the house, and uncovering deceased bodies inside.”

That idiosyncratic has not been identified but is believed to beryllium a comparative of the victims, according to the Bennington Banner. They person not been ruled a affirmative suspect.

The Crossmans had conscionable joined successful June, and Brian Crossman had precocious taken implicit the household workplace from his sister, a neighbour told the outlet.

Crossman had been elected to the Pawlet Selectboard successful outpouring and was serving a one-year term. A Board of Select gathering was held arsenic antecedently scheduled connected Tuesday, with flowers marking Crossman’s spot astatine the table. The five-member committee observed a infinitesimal of silence, and chairperson Mike Beecher work a statement.

“Brian Crossman was a person and neighbor, a hardworking assemblage subordinate who conscionable this twelvemonth stepped up to articulation the Pawlet Selectboard,” helium said. “This calamity that struck him and his household has besides deed our assemblage hard, and we are shaken and grieving. Our hearts spell retired to everyone affected by this devastating loss.”

With News Wire Services