Erie police describe years of control before eight killings

A Pennsylvania man who killed eight people, including his pregnant daughter, had controlled his family’s finances and restricted their contact with others for years, police said Thursday. Investigators still do not know what prompted the Oct. 9 shooting at the family’s Erie home.

Matthew Stone Sr., 45, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing his wife, Michelle Stone, 44; their daughter, Angelina Stone, 24; their sons Matthew Stone, 21, and Jonathan Stone, 19; and two young children related to him. Also killed were Michelle’s sister, Lora Roberts, 37, and Roberts’ friend Twila Tanner, 51, who had come to the Perry Street house.

Relatives told investigators Stone controlled the family’s money and limited when family members could leave home or spend time with relatives, Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said. They said his behavior became increasingly controlling after Michelle became pregnant with their first child. Over time, contact with extended family dwindled, and Michelle stopped keeping in touch with friends.

Inside the house, detectives found what Lorah called “extremely filthy” conditions. The shower, toilet and kitchen sink did not appear to work, and numerous 2-liter bottles filled with urine were scattered throughout the home, he said.

In 2019, Stone was arrested after allegedly threatening Michelle with a.40-caliber handgun, according to NBC News. The charges were withdrawn after she changed her statement at a preliminary hearing, Lorah said. Police said Stone used the same gun in the killings. No later domestic violence incidents were reported to Erie police, and Stone was legally allowed to possess the firearm.

Family members also raised concerns about Stone’s mental and physical health and suspected drug use, including methamphetamine, CBS News reported. Lorah said investigators found no medical records confirming a mental health diagnosis. They found drug paraphernalia in the house, but do not know whether drugs played a role in the shooting.

Angelina, who was due to give birth the following Monday, had sent messages saying she intended to leave home after the birth, Lorah said. She wrote that her father was kicking her and her brothers out and had physically abused her brothers. Investigators later found bags and boxes of packed belongings in her bedroom. Angelina had also sought to change her last name, saying she was concerned about her father’s declining mental health and did not want her association with him to affect her plans for a career in medicine.

Shortly after 4:39 p.m. on Oct. 9, Angelina spoke with Roberts for about two minutes on Facebook Messenger. Roberts and Tanner arrived within 10 minutes of the call ending, and a gunfire detection system registered shots three minutes after their arrival, police said. Officers entered the partially barricaded house shortly after 7 p.m.

“What we cannot say with certainty is what happened inside the home between those communications and the shooting or exactly what caused Matthew Stone Sr. to take these actions,” Lorah said.

Mayor Daria Devlin said the city would examine whether its systems missed opportunities to help the family. “Were there opportunities to recognize that this family was struggling?” she asked.