Son accused of killing father, stepmother, stepbrother will be extradited
In this Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 photo provided by Cherise Forbes, flowers rest on a table where slain Pawlet Selectboard member Brian Crossman, who along with his wife and son were found shot to death in their home over the weekend, usually sat during meetings, in Pawlet, Vt. Credit: AP/Cherise Forbes
A New York man accused of killing his father, stepmother and stepbrother in Vermont earlier this month appeared in court in Lake George on Thursday and waived having an extradition hearing, according to the district attorney.
Brian Crossman Jr., 23, of Granville, New York, faces t hree counts of aggravated murder in the fatal shootings of Brian Crossman Sr., 46, Erica Pawlusiak Crossman, 41, and Colin Taft, 13, in their Pawlet, Vermont, home on Sept. 15, state police said. He will be moved to Vermont to face charges.
The investigation found significant evidence linking Crossman Jr. to the killings, including digital information, statements, injuries and various interviews, Vermont State Police said. His public defender representing him in New York did not return a phone message seeking comment.
A search of his cell phone found multiple internet searches related to serial killers and unresolved murders, police said. Relatives told police that he had a troubled relationship with his father because of Crossman Jr.’s mental health and learning disability.
He was spending the weekend with his father and stepmother while his mother was out of town, according to a police affidavit. The couple had married in July and Erica Crossman told her husband's friend that didn’t feel safe with Crossman Jr. at the home and she was afraid to be there alone with him, according to a police affidavit. Crossman Jr. called police shortly before 4 a.m. on Sept. 15 to report that he had found the three family members shot, and that the residence was covered in blood, police said.
He then agreed to meet with Vermont State Police Corporal Joseph Duca who said when they met, Crossman Jr.’s clothes were covered in blood, according to the affidavit.
Crossman Jr. said he his clothes had blood on them because he tried to drag his deceased father outside of the house and load him into a utility vehicle to take him to his grandmother’s house across the road, police said.
This booking photo provided by the Vermont State Police shows Brain Crossman Jr., 22, of Glens Falls, New York. Credit: AP
Police said they found multiple guns and ammunition around the house as they were investigating the killings, including a semi-automatic handgun on an area rug in the mudroom, a 12-gauge shotgun on a table in the dining area, another shotgun on a couch, and an open firearm cabinet and firearm safe.
Crossman Jr. was admitted to a mental health unit of the Glens Falls Hospital on Sept. 15, according to police. New York State Police arrested him on Sept. 19, and he made an initial court appearance in Warren County Court on a charge of being a fugitive from justice on Friday. He is being held without bail.
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Newsday Live Author Series: Bobby Flay Newsday Live and Long Island LitFest present a conversation with Emmy-winning host, professional chef, restaurateur and author Bobby Flay. Newsday food reporter and critic Erica Marcus hosts a discussion about the chef's life, four-decade career and new cookbook, "Bobby Flay: Chapter One."
