A 27-year-old Pennsylvania woman has been charged with two counts of criminal homicide after police found her husband and three-year-old son stabbed to death inside a guest room at the Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Pocono Mountains on Monday afternoon.
Pocono Township police officers responded to room 2030 at the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Scotrun at approximately 3:13 p.m. on October 12, following a 911 call reporting a distressed and suicidal caller. When officers arrived at the door, they encountered Metallica Rose Harrison of Towanda, Pennsylvania, exhibiting bleeding cuts on her left wrist and superficial punctures on her neck.
Inside the room, investigators found Charles Harrison lying dead on a mattress with multiple stab wounds to his chest. The couple’s three-year-old son was found dead nearby with a single stab wound to his chest.
Police Respond to Emergency Call and Ambulance Transport
Before police arrived at the resort, Harrison had contacted the Monroe County Control Center. According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Pocono Township Police Sgt. Earl Ackerman, the caller stated to dispatchers that she needed help dying and she was unable to find the vein in her neck
.
During the subsequent ambulance transport to St. Luke’s Hospital – Monroe Campus in Stroudsburg, Harrison made repeated statements to accompanying police officers and emergency medical personnel. Court documents state she told responders she was not supposed to be here and expressed frustration that her blood was clotting because she had taken blood thinners.
Every day, 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.
Metallica Rose Harrison, criminal complaint
When detectives later attempted to interview her at the hospital after advising her of her Miranda rights, Harrison declined to speak further, telling officers that she was suicidal, not stupid
.
Investigators Recover Evidence Across Resort Stay Timeline
Investigators examining the hotel room discovered a large butcher knife on the floor of the bathroom and a smaller knife in the sink, both featuring teal-colored handles. Resort staff confirmed to police that the knives were not the type maintained by the lodge. Police also noted several medication bottles scattered throughout the room and suspected blood inside a plastic container and a bathroom garbage can.
Resort security records and surveillance footage established the family’s movements leading up to the incident. The Harrisons had checked into the property on September 21 for an extended stay. On October 5, their reservation was extended with a scheduled check-out date of October 13.
Surveillance video showed the family entering room 2030 at 6:53 p.m. on Sunday, October 11. Footage later captured Metallica Harrison leaving the room to use a microwave about an hour later, followed by an instance where both adults visited the resort arcade before returning. Investigators found no further documented surveillance of the door opening until police arrived on Monday afternoon.
Investigators Search Family Residence to Establish Motive
Authorities have searched the family’s residence in Towanda, Bradford County. Investigators looked for any possible writings, as suspects who plan killings often journal about it beforehand, and sought financial information to determine what led to the killings.
Monroe County District Attorney Mike Mancuso described the case as a violent domestic tragedy, noting that investigators are actively working to establish a motive. That’s one of the most perplexing questions,
Mancuso told reporters.
Family members interviewed by police reported that Charles Harrison and his son had been isolated from extended relatives for the past three years.
Relatives and resort representatives have voiced grief following the incident. Melissa Rivera, identified as Charles Harrison’s sister, created an online fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses and cremation services, writing that Chaz was a good guy whose whole life was centered around his wife and child.
Great Wolf Lodge released a statement emphasizing that the event was an isolated family incident. 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, adding that staff are cooperating fully with law enforcement.
Denied bail during her arraignment, Metallica Harrison is awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 21.
