Brian Crossman Jr. has been arrested and charged with the murder of his father, stepmother, and step-sibling. On September 15, 2024, Brian Crossman Sr., his wife Erica, and Erica’s 13-year-old son were found shot to death inside their home in Vermont. After completing autopsies on all their bodies, the medical examiner declared it to be homicides.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Brian Crossman Jr. covered in blood-stained clothes. He claimed to have dragged his dad’s body out of the house to his grandmother’s but ended up calling the police instead. The Vermont State Police had significant evidence to connect Crossman Jr. to the murders. He was arrested and charged on September 20, 2024.
The Victims and Suspect
Brian Crossman Jr. is a 22-year-old man who suffers from mental health issues. Just before his arrest in New York, he was discharged from Glens Falls Hospital after being admitted for psychiatric problems. His grandmother told police that Crossman Jr. is skilled with guns, and she believes he is capable of something to this degree.
Crossman Jr. stayed with his father since his mother was out of town. Due to his mental health issues, she did not feel comfortable leaving him home alone. Erica Crossman, newlywed of Crossman Sr., confided in a friend that she was uncomfortable with her stepson staying with them. That conversation occurred the Friday before she and her family were murdered.
Brian Crossman Jr.’s grandmother told police he had a difficult relationship with his father. His family claims he was a schizophrenic who struggled with mental health and a learning disability since the age of 3. He has previously pointed a rifle at his father, and Crossman Jr. has suggested he would kill him. When he called the police to report the death of his family, he claimed to have gone out for a three-hour walk at midnight. When he returned home at approximately 3 a.m., he found his family shot. The police reported in an affidavit that they found several shotguns scattered around the house.
The Investigation
Insider Edition obtained a probable cause affidavit that reports the charges against Brian Crossman Jr. and details of the murders. When the police first arrived, they found Brian Crossman Sr. deceased outside the front door. They reported there to be a significant amount of bodily fluid around the house. In the downstairs bedroom, they found Erica Crossman, deceased, lying nude on the bed.
In the upstairs bedroom, they found Erica’s son deceased on the floor with a shotgun near him. Brian Crossman Jr. was allegedly on a long walk at the time of the murders. Bodycam footage shows Crossman Jr. telling the responding police he just puts his headphones on, vibes out, and walks around for hours.
Investigators interviewed multiple people relating to Brian Crossman Jr., including his grandmother, mother, stepfather, aunts, and a family friend. They also confiscated his phone to extract its data. They focused on the usage of it between the hours he was supposedly out on his walk. Between the physical evidence and the interviews, police believed to have probable cause to charge Brian Crossman Jr. with the murders.
Final Thoughts
The affidavit also reported a conversation that happened between Crossman Jr. and his mother in the Glens Falls Hospital. He asked her if there was video footage of the crime scene, but his mother was not able to answer. With that, he responded, “If they did, I probably wouldn’t be here.” When he was discharged, Brian Crossman Jr. was charged with three counts of aggravated murder. He is currently being held in New York without bail. He is awaiting extradition back to Vermont. After initially speaking to the police, he got a lawyer. He is due back in court this week for firearm charges and later again in October.
