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Wyoming mom shoots her 4 daughters in triple murder-suicide

homesafetytechpros — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:41:20 +0000

Inset left to right: The Harshman family and Tranyelle Harshman (Facebook). Background: The house where Harshman shot and killed three of her daughters in Byron, Wyo. (Google Maps).

The firm grip of horror took hold of multiple Wyoming families after a mother shot her four daughters before turning the gun on herself.

Midafternoon on Monday, Tranyelle Harshman, 32, called 911 to report the gunshots she fired at her own home on East Shoshone Avenue in Byron — a tiny town located roughly 415 miles northwest of Cheyenne — and some 90 miles due south of Billings, Montana.

The woman went on to report that her daughters had been shot, according to a press release issued by the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office.

“When dispatchers asked the status of the gunshot victims the female stated that she believed them to be deceased,” the sheriff’s office said.

Harshman also gave dispatchers a macabre guide to the violence they would encounter inside the unassuming home.

“Two children would be located upstairs in their cribs and two children would be located downstairs in their shared bedroom,” the press release reads. “The caller further stated she could be found in her upstairs bedroom and that she was going to do the same to herself.”

Attempts were made to slow things down. Those efforts failed.

“The dispatcher pleaded with the female caller over the phone for the female caller to remain on the line until responding units arrived,” the press release goes on. “The female caller stated multiple times that she could not do that and that it was too late. Multiple attempts to keep her on the line failed and the call was disconnected.”

When deputies and local law enforcement arrived, two girls were already dead: a 2-year-old and her 9-year-old half-sister died from gunshot wounds to the head. Another 2-year-old and her 7-year-old half-sister had also been shot in the head but managed to cling to life.

The toddler who first survived, however, “succumbed a very short time later due to the extent of her injuries,” according to the sheriff’s office.

The shooter was also “found to have signs of life” while suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, authorities said. The mother and the 7-year-old were both swiftly transported to North Big Horn Hospital. The girl was later airlifted to a hospital in Salt Lake City where she is currently “fighting hard for her life,” according to family members.

Harshman herself died on Tuesday afternoon.

The family had lived in the house for about a year before tragedy struck, a next-door neighbor told Cowboy State Daily. The neighbor recalled seeing the girls playing outside — where they would sometimes pet his dogs. The murderess, the neighbor said, appeared to be a homemaker and did not evidence any signs of mental turmoil.

“I wish I had known something was going on. I could have done something about it,” the man told the newspaper through tears. “Terrible. F–––ing terrible.”

Now, two fathers and the killer’s surviving family are grieving and trying to make sense of the tragic turn of events.

One GoFundMe was started to help the biological father and stepmother of the two older girls — particularly with medical expenses as the 7-year-old recovers from surgery.

“Olivia has suffered severe traumatic brain injury,” the first fundraiser reads. “All prayers and whatever higher faith or power you believe in are appreciated for the family at this time. If she does pull through this, she and the family have a very long road ahead of them, a lot of unknown right now. This loss and hurt is unimaginable. Please rally around Quinn and Katelynn as they prepare to bury one daughter and beg and pray that the other survives this horrible tragic event.”

Other funds will go toward the 9-year-old girl’s funeral expenses and travel for her parents to attend.

A second GoFundMe was started to help the widower — the father of the two younger girls — with various costs.

“This devastating event has left Cliff and his loved ones reeling in grief, struggling to come to terms with the immense void left in their lives,” the second fundraiser reads. “The financial burden of funeral expenses, ongoing family support, and other related costs only adds to their pain.”

In response to a request from Law&Crime, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office said incident reports about the triple murder-suicide “aren’t finalized yet.”

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Mysterious triple homicide in tiny town raises suspicions

homesafetytechpros — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 01:13:09 +0000

Inset: Erica and Brian Crossman (Facebook). Background: The house where the Crossman family was found shot to death (Google Maps).

A Vermont family of three – one of whom served as an elected official – was shot to death in their own home over the weekend, according to law enforcement in the Green Mountain State.

Originally referred to as “suspicious deaths,” the three individuals are now believed to have been killed in the manner of homicide, Vermont State Police said in a series of updated press releases.

On Tuesday, law enforcement identified the victims as Brian Crossman Sr., 46, his wife, Erica Crossman, née Pawlusiak, 41, and Colin Taft, 13, who is Erica’s son and Brian’s stepson.

Earlier this year, Crossman was elected to the select board in Pawlet – a typically small town in Rutland County located some 85 miles due south of Burlington.

The order of law enforcement involvement highlights the still-unfolding mystery of the tragic triple homicide case.

During the early morning hours on Sunday, police initially received a call about a “suspicious person,” according to state troopers. That first call came in around 3:45 a.m.

“Subsequent investigation led the state police to a residence on Vermont Route 133, where troopers located the deceased victims,” the first version of the press release reads.

Late Sunday evening, law enforcement reiterated their understanding of the crime, saying continued investigation confirmed that all three deaths “are considered suspicious.”

On Tuesday, the state medical examiner released the victims’ identities and their causes of death. Brian Crossman died from a series of gunshot wounds to his head and torso, and Erica Crossman died from a lone gunshot wound to her head. Colin’s fatal injuries were described only as “multiple gunshot wounds.”

“All three deaths were ruled homicides,” troopers said – suggesting investigators believe all three victims were murdered.

But it’s not the timeline alone that has law enforcement puzzled.

The suspicious person who triggered the police response on the day in question has been described in various ways.

“There was a report of a person that had some blood on them,” Vermont State Police Maj. Dan Trudeau said in comments to Burlington-based CBS affiliate WCAX. “That they saw on the roadway.”

A second phone call led state troopers directly to the scene of the crime, state police told the TV station.

But apparently, so did the person who was said to be covered in blood.

“We ended up detaining this person,” Trudeau continued. “Described getting to the house, and finding deceased bodies inside.”

Also described as a “person of interest,” the person who allegedly had blood on them was waiting for police at a nearby primary school, according to the Bennington Banner, citing neighbors.

“That house is like my great grandfather[s], so everybody congregated there,” an anonymous neighbor told the newspaper. “There were five brothers, so it’s a big family.”

The neighbor went on to say that Brian Crossman had recently taken over the family’s farm on the property where he was killed – a farm that had been in the family for generations.

“He was cleaning it up and working the farm,” the neighbor continued. “I think he was just trying to make a new start and trying to run the family farm. And, yeah, this just is, like, the last thing I expected.”

Also new to the Crossman clan was public service.

Mike Beecher, chairperson of the Pawlet Selectboard, remembered the slain man in comments to New England Cable News, a local, NBC-owned cable news channel based out of Needham, Massachusetts.

“Brian Crossman was a friend and neighbor, a hardworking community member who just this year stepped up to join the Pawlet Selectboard,” he said. “This tragedy that struck him and his family has also hit our community hard, and we are shaken and grieving. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this devastating loss.”

Police say there is no threat to the community – but did not say why. The investigation is ongoing.

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