A Pennsylvania woman has been charged with criminal homicide after authorities say she used butcher knives to fatally stab her husband and their 3-year-old son inside a family resort in the Pocono region, according to court records and investigators.
Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, is accused of killing Charles «Chaz» Harrison, 36, and the couple's young son inside their room at the Great Wolf Lodge. Officers responded Monday to a 911 call about a «suicidal woman» who «needed help dying,» the criminal complaint states. When they arrived, they found the two victims with stab wounds, along with knives, blood, and various medications, according to the documents.
The family, from the small rural town of Towanda, Pennsylvania, had checked into the resort on Sept. 21 and were due to check out Tuesday, following an extended three-week stay. A spokesperson for Great Wolf Lodge said such long visits are not typical but have happened before. «We've had families in the past stay at our resorts for extended periods of time while completing home renovations or repairs because our rooms are larger and there's a lot of entertainment offerings, so a multi-week stay is uncommon, but not completely unusual,» the spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson did not say how the family was paying for the stay, which can cost more than $600 a night, and referred questions about the case to law enforcement. The company has said it is cooperating fully with local authorities.
Metallica Harrison had recently posted photos on social media showing the family at the resort's waterpark, according to the accounts reviewed by investigators. The couple appeared to have been married for three years, based on their social media profiles.
A woman identifying herself as Chaz Harrison's sister, Melissa Rivera, wrote in a post that the family was devastated. «Their passing was sudden, and we are heartbroken trying to come to terms with losing two people we loved so dearly,» she said. Rivera described her brother as a devoted family man. «Chaz was a good guy whose whole life was centered around his wife and child. He meant so much to our family, and the pain of losing both him and my nephew so unexpectedly is hard to put into words.» She has created an online fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.
Metallica Harrison is being held in the Monroe County jail after being denied bond, court records show. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 21.
The deaths have drawn attention to the extended stay at a resort typically associated with short family vacations. The Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is part of a chain known for its indoor water parks and family-oriented entertainment. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released further details about a possible motive.