Crime · Erie, PA
Erie Police Detail Controlled Living Conditions Before Oct. 9 Family Massacre
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said Thursday that Matthew Stone Sr., 45, who fatally shot eight people including seven family members on Oct. 9 before killing himself, had maintained strict control over relatives' movements, finances, and social interactions for more than two decades. Victims included Stone's wife Michelle, three children (one due to give birth days later), two grandchildren, and two non-family women who rushed to the home. Lorah described the residence as "extremely filthy" with non-functioning plumbing and urine-filled containers, and noted a 2019 domestic-threat arrest against Stone was withdrawn after his wife changed her statement. Erie Mayor Daria Devlin raised questions about whether community intervention systems could have identified the family's struggles earlier.