Woman charged with murdering husband and toddler at Great Wolf Lodge in Pennsylvania

Metallica Harrison, 27, faces two homicide counts after her husband and 3-year-old son were found stabbed at a Poconos resort. Police searched the family home in Towanda for a motive.

Double homicide at Pocono Mountains resort leaves two dead as investigators hunt for motive

Authorities have charged a 27-year-old Pennsylvania woman with two counts of homicide after her husband and three-year-old son were found stabbed to death in a room at the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, Pocono Township, abcnews.com reports.

Metallica Rose Harrison, of Towanda, was arrested following a 911 call she placed herself on Monday. Officers responding to a report of a suicidal caller discovered the two victims — identified as Charles Harrison and his young son, T.H. — dead on mattresses inside the resort room, according to the criminal complaint.

Charles Harrison had been stabbed multiple times in the chest. His son appeared to have sustained a single stab wound to the chest, the complaint states.

On the 911 call, Harrison allegedly told dispatchers she was "too weak to stab my neck" and that she had knives but they were "not working," adding that she needed "help dying." When asked whether she was alone, she allegedly replied: "My husband and son are already gone in the bed. They're already gone, I'm sorry."

A large butcher kitchen knife and a smaller knife — both with teal handles — were recovered from the bathroom. Resort staff confirmed the knives did not belong to the lodge.

The family had been staying at the resort since 21 September. After extending their visit, they had been due to check out on Tuesday.

Home searched for evidence and motive

On the same day the check-out was scheduled, officers travelled to the family's home in Towanda to execute a search warrant. According to the warrant application, investigators sought evidence that "may reveal valuable evidence relating to the motive for this incident as well as recover evidence connecting the knife used at the crime scene to other items" at the property.

The application noted it is "common for individuals in these scenarios to document their homicidal and suicidal ideations via hand writings or electronics prior to, during and after the act has taken place."

Police also sought financial records and information explaining why the family had left their home and had been living at the resort for approximately three weeks.

Officers ultimately seized nearly a dozen teal-handled knives from the residence, along with a safe, a journal, a financial notebook, a laptop and additional items, according to the court inventory filing.

Family describes suspect as "controlling"

Relatives of the victims told police that Harrison was "dominant" and "controlling" and had "isolated" them from Charles and his son, according to the search warrant application. One family member claimed Harrison was "resentful" toward her son because she "never wanted to get pregnant" and had made statements about the toddler "taking away one-on-one time between her and Charles."

Bail denied; hearing set for October

Harrison was denied bail at her arraignment on Tuesday. She remains in custody pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for 21 October. No attorney is listed on her behalf in the online court docket.

The Great Wolf Lodge said in a statement that the resort was "cooperating fully with local law enforcement as they conduct their investigation." The company described the incident as "a tragic domestic incident" and stated: "We are deeply saddened and heartbroken. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of those affected."

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)