An Upstate New York charged in the murders of his father, stepmother and teen stepbrother in Vermont last month pleaded not guilty Thursday and was ordered held without bail.
Brian Crossman Jr., 23, of Granville, is accused of fatally shooting 46-year-old Brian Crossman Sr., 41-year-old Erica Crossman and her 13-year-old son Colin Taft in the family’s home in Pawlet in the early hours of Sept. 15.
Crossman Jr. was arrested by New York State Police on Sept. 20 after authorities in Vermont issued a warrant for his arrest. He waived having an extradition hearing last week.
He returned to Vermont on Wednesday afternoon to face charges on three counts of aggravated murder. He’s currently being held at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland.
On Thursday, Crossman Jr. appeared virtually at his arraignment held in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Rutland. He watched the hearing via video from jail but didn’t speak. A defense attorney entered the not-guilty pleas on his behalf.
Prosecutors outlined reasons why the suspect should be held without bail, including autopsy reports showing that two of the victims died from gunshot wounds.
“We believe that shows a sustained and vicious form of violence against his victims that should give the court significant pause when considering whether or not to release the defendant,” a prosecutor said.
Crossman Jr. will now return to court for a hearing on the weight of the evidence, local TV station WPTZ reported.
With News Wire Services
