Vermont Town Official Found Shot To Death Alongside Wife and Teen Son in Pawlet Home

Authorities are investigating the triple slayings of a town official, his wife and their teen son after they were found shot to death in their Pawlet, Vermont, home over the weekend.

Vermont State Police identified the victims as town selectboard member Brian Crossman, 46, Erica Crossman, 41 and Colin Taft, 13.

According to their autopsies, Brian was shot in the head and torso, Erica was shot in the head, and Colin suffered multiple gunshot wounds, said police. Their deaths were ruled homicides.

Officers first responded to a report of a suspicious person at the Crossmans' home Sunday morning.

As of Tuesday, no one was in custody, but sources said police have identified a family member as a person of interest, according to WCAX-TV.

That same evening, the town of Pawlet held their regularly scheduled board meeting, where Chairperson Mike Beecher honored their former member.

"Brian Crossman was a friend and neighbor, a hardworking community member who just this year stepped up to join the Pawlet Selectboard," he said, according to the Associated Press.

"This tragedy that struck him and his family has also hit our community hard, and we are shaken and grieving. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this devastating loss."

A motive in the murders remains unclear and the investigation is ongoing.

Originally published in Lawyer Herald