Background: Rooms at the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, Pocono Township, Pennsylvania (WPVI/YouTube). Inset: Metallica Harrison, the boy identified as T.H., and Charles Harrison (Facebook).
A Pennsylvania vacation ended in a double-fatal stabbing after a woman allegedly killed her husband and 3-year-old son with a butcher knife, then unsuccessfully attempted to take her own life, authorities said.
Metallica Harrison, 27, faces two counts of criminal homicide and is being held without bail at the Monroe County Jail, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
Monroe County District Attorney Mike Mancuso identified the victims in an affidavit of probable cause as Charles Harrison, whose age was not clear, and the couple’s son, identified as T.H.
The family checked into the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Township, on Sept. 21. The resort describes itself as a family-oriented indoor water park offering both day visits and overnight stays.
On Oct. 5, the family extended its reservation through Tuesday. Two days before their scheduled departure, however, events took a deadly turn.
Surveillance footage cited in the court filing showed all three family members entering their room together for the last time at approximately 6:50 p.m. Sunday. About an hour later, Metallica Harrison left the room, used a microwave in a vending area and then returned.
At about 10:45 p.m., Harrison and her husband left the room again to visit the arcade. They returned roughly 40 minutes later, according to the affidavit.
The following day, the Pocono Township Police Department received a call from a woman later identified as Harrison. She told dispatchers that “she needed help dying” because she could not find the vein in her neck to stab, according to the affidavit of probable cause. “I’m too weak to stab my neck,” she allegedly said.
When officers asked whether she had any weapons, Harrison allegedly said she had knives and that “that’s what I’ve been using and it’s not working.” Asked if she was alone, she reportedly replied, “my husband and son are already gone in the bed” and “They’re already gone, I’m sorry.”
Authorities said Harrison did not ask police to provide medical assistance for either family member.
ALSO READ: California Parents Outraged After Students Wear Blackface at School
Officers went to the resort, where they saw Harrison standing in the doorway. Police reported finding bleeding cuts on her left wrist and superficial puncture wounds around her neck.
Harrison reportedly told officers that “she wanted to be with her husband and son.” Police then discovered the victims inside the room.
Charles Harrison was found dead on a mattress on the floor, while T.H. was on a separate mattress. Investigators said Charles had suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest and that the child had one stab wound in the same area.
According to police, a “large butcher kitchen knife” was found on the bathroom floor, while a smaller knife was located in the bathroom sink. The resort said neither weapon belonged to Great Wolf Lodge.
Investigators also reported finding blood inside the room, along with several medication bottles.
Harrison was taken to a nearby hospital. Authorities said she continued speaking during the trip.
“I f—ed up, I f—ed up. I just needed energy and strength,” she allegedly said. Harrison reportedly complained that there was no “easier way” and asked medical workers how deep the vein in her wrist was so she would know “next time.”
The court filing states that Harrison said she had taken medication intended to thin her blood, but that the blood was clotting when it should not have been. She also allegedly said: “[E]veryday, 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.”
Investigators later attempted to question Harrison at the hospital. When asked what had led to her hospitalization, she reportedly responded that she was “suicidal, not stupid” and declined to provide further information.
Metallica Harrison was jailed on Tuesday and had her preliminary arraignment. She is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 21.