Woman accused of stabbing husband and 3-year-old son to death at family resort: Complaint
A Pennsylvania woman allegedly stabbed her husband and 3-year-old son to death at a family resort in the Poconos before trying to take her own life, according to a criminal complaint.
Monroe County District Attorney Mike Mancuso called the incident a "violent domestic tragedy" while announcing homicide charges against the woman on Tuesday.
Authorities responded to a room at the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, Pocono Township, on Monday for a suicidal caller, according to the complaint.
The 911 caller -- identified in the complaint as 27-year-old Metallica Rose Harrison of Towanda -- reported that she was "too weak to stab my neck" and "I need police," according to the complaint.
During the call, Harrison allegedly said she had knives but they were "not working," and that she needed "help dying," according to the complaint. When asked if she was alone, she allegedly said that "my husband and son are already gone in the bed," and, "They're already gone, I'm sorry," and did not at any point on the call request help for them, according to the complaint.
Harrison allegedly told responding officers that she "wanted to be with her husband and son," who were both found dead on mattresses in the room, according to the complaint. Her husband, Charles Harrison, had multiple stab wounds to his chest, while her son, identified in the complaint as T.H., appeared to have a single stab wound to his chest, according to the complaint.
Harrison had cuts on her left wrist and "superficial punctures about the neck," according to the complaint. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries. During the ambulance ride, she allegedly said she took medication to help thin her blood and "expressed verbal frustration that the blood was clotting when [it] wasn't supposed to," the complaint stated.
"Everyday, I work so hard. To be the best person, the best mother, the best wife. It wasn't supposed to end like this. I was supposed to have my happy family. That's what I envisioned since I was a child," she allegedly said, according to the complaint.
When a detective advised Harrison of her Miranda warning and asked to speak to her about what brought her to the hospital, she allegedly responded that she was "suicidal, not stupid," and advised that she was not willing to speak with police, according to the complaint.
Authorities did not observe defensive wounds on her body, according to the complaint, which charges her with two counts of criminal homicide.
"This case is an isolated domestic tragedy and there is no threat to the community," the Pocono Township Police Department said in a statement.
Harrison was denied bail during her arraignment on Tuesday and is in custody awaiting a preliminary hearing, according to police. The online court docket does not list any attorney information for her at this time.
The Monroe County coroner said the autopsies for the victims are set to take place later this week.
According to the complaint, the family checked in to the lodge on Sept. 21, and were due to check out on Tuesday. A "large butcher kitchen knife" and smaller knife were found in the bathroom, according to the complaint. Resort staff confirmed that neither knife was the type kept by the lodge, according to the complaint.
The Great Wolf Lodge said the resort was "cooperating fully with local law enforcement as they conduct their investigation."
"We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by a tragic domestic incident that occurred yesterday in a guest room at our resort in the Pocono Mountains," the company said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of those affected."
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
