Great Wolf Lodge killings: Mother accused of stabbing husband, son

A 27-year-old Pennsylvania woman is being held without bail after allegedly using butcher knives to kill her husband and their 3-year-old son inside a Great Wolf Lodge hotel room in the Pocono Mountains.

Metallica Rose Harrison faces criminal homicide charges following the Oct. 12 attack on Charles “Chaz” Harrison, 36, and the couple’s toddler at the family-oriented water park resort in Monroe County. She remains jailed pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 21.

The violence unfolded near the end of an unusually long stay. The family checked into the resort on Sept. 21 and was scheduled to check out the day after the killings. Rooms at Great Wolf Lodge properties typically start above $600 per night, making a three-week reservation cost tens of thousands of dollars. Resort operators have noted that extended stays occasionally occur when families are displaced by home renovations or repairs, though they declined to explain how this specific reservation was funded or whether staff had observed any warning signs during the visit.

Monroe County investigators responded to a 911 call from a woman described as suicidal who told dispatchers she “needed help dying.” Upon entering the room, officers found both victims dead from stab wounds. Butcher knives, blood and various medications were recovered from the scene, according to court documents.

The Harrisons, originally from Towanda, a rural borough in Bradford County roughly two hours northwest of the resort, appeared active on social media throughout their stay. Metallica Rose Harrison recently posted photographs showing the family enjoying the indoor water park.

Family members have begun organizing funeral arrangements. Melissa Rivera, who identified herself as Chaz Harrison’s sister, launched an online fundraiser and described her brother as someone whose entire life revolved around his wife and child. Social media records indicate the couple married approximately three years ago.

Great Wolf Lodge operates nearly two dozen indoor water park resorts across North America, catering almost exclusively to families with young children. The brand relies heavily on its reputation as a controlled, secure environment where guests spend most of their time within the enclosed property. A double homicide inside one of its rooms represents an unprecedented security crisis for the company, which stated it is cooperating fully with local law enforcement.

Pennsylvania does not have a capital murder statute that applies automatically to spousal homicides, but prosecutors can pursue first-degree murder charges carrying mandatory life sentences without parole. Killing a child under 12 by a caretaker also carries enhanced sentencing provisions under state law. The Monroe County District Attorney’s office has not yet specified the exact degree of homicide charges beyond the initial criminal complaint.

Harrison was denied bond during her initial arraignment and remains confined at the Monroe County Correctional Facility.