Police found a Pennsylvania man and his 3-year-old son dead inside a Great Wolf Lodge room in Scotrun on Monday after the boy’s mother called 911 to say she needed help dying. Metallica Rose Harrison faces two counts of criminal homicide following the incident.
Emergency responders arrived at room 2030 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun around 3:13 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, after Metallica called the Monroe County Control Center. The 27-year-old resident of Towanda told dispatchers that she needed help committing suicide. When officers from the Pocono Township Police Department gained entry to the resort space, they encountered Harrison in the doorway with bleeding cuts on her left wrist and superficial puncture wounds on her neck.
The Pocono Mountains location opened in October 2005 as the company’s sixth resort and is situated about 90 minutes west of New York City and two hours north of Philadelphia. The property offers lodging, dining, children’s activities, and other attractions.
Inside Room 2030 and the Discovery of the Victims
Inside the room, investigators found Charles Harrison lying dead on a mattress and their 3-year-old son dead on the floor. Charles Harrison suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest, while the child appeared to have a single stab wound to the chest.
Police recovered a large butcher knife on the bathroom floor and a smaller knife on the bathroom sink. Both blades featured teal green handles, and resort staff confirmed they were not the type of knives kept by the lodge. Investigators also noted several medication bottles scattered throughout the room, along with a plastic container and a bathroom garbage can containing a brownish-red liquid believed to be blood.
The 911 Call and Statements in the Ambulance
According to court documents, Harrison told the 911 dispatcher that she was too weak to stab her neck and needed help dying. When asked if she was alone, she stated that her husband and son were already gone in the bed.
“Every day, 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.”
Metallica Rose Harrison, via criminal complaint
During the ambulance ride to St. Luke’s Hospital’s Monroe Campus in Stroudsburg, Harrison also told an officer she f****d up and needed energy and strength. Monroe County District Attorney Mike Mancuso described the incident during a news conference as a violent domestic tragedy that posed no threat to public safety.
Timeline of the Family’s Stay at the Resort
Lodge security records showed that the family had checked into the property on Sept. 21. They extended their reservation on Oct. 5, with a scheduled check-out date of Oct. 13.
- 6:53 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11: The entire family entered room 2030 together.
- 8:15 p.m.: Metallica Harrison left the room briefly to use a microwave in the vending area.
- 10:45 p.m.: Metallica and Charles Harrison left the room to visit the arcade.
- 11:20 p.m.: The couple returned to the room, marking the final documented door activity before police responded the following afternoon.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings and Resort Response
Harrison has been charged with two counts of criminal homicide and is awaiting a preliminary hearing. When detectives attempted to speak with her at the hospital after reading her Miranda rights, she declined to answer questions, stating that she was suicidal, not stupid.
Resort representatives stated that they were deeply saddened and heartbroken by the deaths and confirmed that the company is cooperating fully with local law enforcement. Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac announced that autopsies for the victims are scheduled for later in the week.
