Pennsylvania mother calls 911 from Great Wolf Lodge and says her husband and toddler are ‘already gone.’ Now she faces homicide charges
The family was scheduled to check out the next day.
A Pennsylvania mother called 911 from Great Wolf Lodge and said her husband and 3-year-old son were “already gone,” according to a criminal complaint. Officers found both dead in the family’s hotel room, one day before their scheduled checkout.
Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, of Towanda, faces two counts of criminal homicide in the October 12 deaths of her husband, Charles “Chaz” Harrison, 36, and their son. Pocono Township police said that she was arraigned October 13, denied bail, and placed in the Monroe County Correctional Facility.
The family had spent approximately three weeks at the Scotrun resort before the emergency call. Investigators were still examining the circumstances of the deaths, and police said there was no ongoing threat to the community. Harrison is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The call brought officers to the room before checkout day
Calls reporting alleged attacks on spouses and children can give investigators an initial account of events. Police responded at approximately 3:13 p.m. According to the complaint reported by ABC News, Harrison allegedly told the dispatcher, “My husband and son are already gone in the bed.”
The complaint alleged that she did not request help for either of them during the call. Officers found Charles Harrison and the child with fatal stab wounds. Harrison was injured and transported to a hospital.
During the ambulance ride, she allegedly told emergency responders, “It wasn’t supposed to end like this. I was supposed to have my happy family.” The statement was included in investigators’ account, but the available information did not establish a motive.
Investigators reported recovering two kitchen knives from the bathroom. Resort staff told police neither was the type supplied by the lodge, according to the affidavit described by Fox News.
The affidavit also traced the family’s stay. They checked in September 21 and extended their reservation October 5, moving their checkout date to October 13. Surveillance footage showed Harrison and her husband visiting the arcade Sunday night and returning to their room around 11:22 p.m., investigators said.
A three-week stay left questions the resort couldn’t answer
Asked about the family’s three-week reservation, Great Wolf Lodge told Fox News that extended stays were uncommon but not unheard of. Some families booked longer visits while their homes underwent renovations or repairs, a spokesperson said.
Larger rooms and activities made the resort an option for those extended visits, the spokesperson explained. They did not say why the Harrisons stayed for three weeks or how they paid, referring questions about the family to law enforcement.
Harrison’s stepmother, April Thetga, told Fox News on October 15 that Harrison may have withdrawn money from a retirement account before the trip. Thetga also said the knives purportedly came from the family’s home and alleged that the killings were planned.
Authorities had not publicly confirmed Thetga’s account of the retirement funds or the knives’ origin. Why the family stayed at the resort and what led to the deaths remained under investigation.
Alongside grieving, relatives were arranging funeral services following a child’s death. Melissa Rivera, who identified herself as Charles Harrison’s sister, organized a fundraiser for funeral expenses and described her brother as a man “whose whole life was centered around his wife and child.”
Great Wolf Lodge said it was cooperating with law enforcement and offered condolences to the family and their loved ones. Harrison remains in custody without bail as investigators continue gathering evidence.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
