Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, of Towanda, Pennsylvania, faces two counts of criminal homicide after police found her husband, Charles Harrison, and their 3-year-old son dead in a Great Wolf Lodge hotel room in Scotrun. Police called the deaths an isolated domestic tragedy and said the community faced no threat. Harrison is presumed innocent, and prosecutors must prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, Monroe County District Attorney Michael Mancuso said.
Police Response and Evidence
Pocono Township police went to room 2030 around 3:13 p.m. Oct. 12 after Harrison called dispatchers seeking help dying, according to an affidavit. Officers found her at the doorway, with bleeding cuts on her wrist and puncture wounds around her neck. She told officers she wanted to be with her husband and son, investigators wrote.
Police found Charles Harrison with multiple stab wounds to his chest. Their son, identified in the complaint by his initials, appeared to have one stab wound to his chest. Officers took Harrison to St. Luke's Hospital's Monroe Campus in Stroudsburg for treatment.
Investigators reported finding a large kitchen knife on the bathroom floor and a smaller knife on the bathroom sink. Both had teal green handles. Resort staff told police the lodge didn't keep that type of knife. Several medication bottles also lay scattered throughout the room, investigators wrote.
What the Investigation Records
During the ambulance ride, 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.” She also allegedly told emergency responders, “Every day, I work so hard. To be the best person, the best mother, the best wife,” before lamenting how things had ended.
Lodge security information showed the family checked in Sept. 21 and extended its reservation on Oct. 5. Checkout was scheduled for Oct. 13. Surveillance video showed all three family members entering the room around 6:53 p.m. Sunday. Harrison and her husband later visited the arcade and returned to the room around 11:22 p.m., the affidavit said.
Mancuso called the complaint “disturbing reading” and said investigators were still gathering evidence. “The investigation continues as we gather further evidence shedding light on the circumstances surrounding this horrendous situation,” he wrote. He thanked township officers, Pennsylvania State Police forensic investigators and the county coroner's office, calling the room a “complex double homicide scene.”
Resort and Police Statements
Great Wolf Lodge said it was “deeply saddened and heartbroken” by the deaths and was cooperating with investigators. “It was an isolated family incident, and we're cooperating fully with local law enforcement as they conduct their investigation,” the resort said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of those affected.”
A resort spokesperson said responding officers quickly determined there was no ongoing security concern. Police also called the deaths an isolated domestic tragedy and said the community faced no threat. The case remains under investigation, Mancuso said, as authorities gather further evidence about the circumstances. Harrison faces two homicide counts, but the charges are allegations; prosecutors must prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.