A Pennsylvania mother allegedly stabbed her husband and their 3-year-old son inside a Great Wolf Lodge room before telling first responders that she had always imagined having a “happy family,” authorities said.
Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, of Towanda, is charged with two counts of criminal homicide after police found her husband, Charles Harrison, and their young son dead at the Scotrun resort Monday, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by News Outlet.
During the ambulance trip to the hospital, Harrison allegedly said, “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.”
Authorities say a Pennsylvania woman fatally stabbed her husband and toddler inside a Great Wolf Lodge hotel room. (Dave Zajac/Connecticut Post via Getty Images, File)
Pocono Township police were called to room 2030 at Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun at about 3:13 p.m. Oct. 12 after Harrison contacted dispatchers and asked for help dying, according to an affidavit.
Officers found Harrison near the doorway with cuts bleeding from her wrist and puncture wounds around her neck. Investigators said she told them she wanted to be with her husband and son.
Inside the room, police discovered Charles Harrison suffering from several stab wounds to the chest. Their son, identified only by his initials in the complaint, appeared to have one stab wound in the chest.
Authorities transported Harrison to St. Luke’s Hospital’s Monroe Campus in Stroudsburg, where she received medical treatment.
Police are investigating a homicide involving a guest and her family at the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park resort in Scotrun, Pennsylvania. (MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images, File)
“Every day, I work so hard. To be the best person, the best mother, the best wife,” Harrison allegedly told emergency crews before speaking about how the family’s story had ended.
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Investigators reported finding a large kitchen knife on the bathroom floor and a smaller knife on the sink. Both weapons reportedly had teal-green handles, and resort employees told police they were not knives supplied by the lodge.
Police also noted that multiple medication bottles were spread across the room.
Lodge security records showed that the family arrived at the resort Sept. 21 and extended its stay through Oct. 5, with checkout ultimately set for Oct. 13.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office detectives continue to investigate, and officials said further charges could be filed. (iStock)
Surveillance footage showed the family entering the hotel room together at approximately 6:53 p.m. Sunday. Later, Harrison and her husband were seen visiting the resort arcade before returning to the room around 11:22 p.m., according to the affidavit.
Monroe County District Attorney Michael Mancuso called the criminal complaint “disturbing reading” and said investigators were still working to establish the full circumstances of the deaths.
“The investigation continues as we gather further evidence shedding light on the circumstances surrounding this horrendous situation,” Mancuso said in a statement.
He praised Pocono Township police, Pennsylvania State Police forensic personnel and the county coroner’s office for their response to what he described as a “complex double homicide scene.”
Mancuso also stressed that Harrison remains presumed innocent and that prosecutors must prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Police characterized the deaths as an isolated domestic incident and said there was no continuing danger to the public.
Great Wolf Lodge did not immediately respond to News Outlet’s request for comment.
