Pennsylvania man who killed 8 people was "controlling" patriarch, police say

Key points

• Matthew Stone Sr., 45, is accused of killing eight people in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 9.
• Police say Stone controlled his family's finances and movement for years.
• Authorities found the home extremely filthy, with urine-filled bottles and nonworking plumbing.

A Pennsylvania man accused of killing eight people, including his pregnant daughter, exercised significant control over his family at their Erie home, which authorities described as extremely filthy, police said Thursday. Matthew Stone Sr., 45, is accused of killing his wife, Michelle Stone, 44; his pregnant daughter, Angelina Stone, 24; his sons Jonathan Stone, 19, and Matthew Stone, 21; and two children, ages 1 and 5. Two visitors, Lora Roberts, 37, and Twila Tanner, 51, were also killed.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the shooting happened on Friday, Oct. 9. He said questions remain about why it happened, but investigators have established a clearer picture of the events.

Patriarch was controlling

Lorah said relatives told investigators that Matthew Stone Sr. had significant control over his wife, children and grandchildren for years. He controlled finances and restricted when family members could leave the house, the chief said. Detectives described the home as extremely filthy, with a shower, toilet and kitchen sink that did not appear to be working and numerous 2-liter bottles filled with urine.

In 2019, Stone was charged in a domestic violence incident involving his wife, and a .40 caliber handgun later used in the shooting was involved, Lorah said. The charges were withdrawn after Michelle Stone changed her statement at a preliminary hearing. Family members raised concerns about Stone's mental health, possible physical health problems and suspected substance abuse, including methamphetamine, Lorah said. Drug paraphernalia was found in the home, but the role of drugs in the shooting is unknown.

We cannot change what happened on Friday. But we can honor those we've lost through the care we show those who are grieving, the questions we are willing to ask, and the changes we make moving forward.

— Erie Mayor Daria Devlin

Pregnant daughter planned to leave

Angelina Stone had expressed concerns about her father's well-being and last year tried to change her last name to pursue a career in medicine, Lorah said. Recently, she sent messages indicating she planned to leave the family home after giving birth. In those messages, she said her father was kicking her and her brothers out and had been physically abusive to her brothers. Detectives found belongings packed in bags and boxes in her bedroom.

Timeline of shooting

Shortly after 4:39 p.m. on the day of the shooting, Angelina Stone called her aunt, Lora Roberts, on Facebook Messenger and talked for about two minutes. Roberts, who was Michelle Stone's sister, said she was on the way. Within 10 minutes, Roberts and Tanner arrived outside. Three minutes later, the city's ShotSpotter system detected gunfire. Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., SWAT and hostage negotiation teams were notified, and a little after 7 p.m., officers breached the partially barricaded front door.

Police found the bodies of two young children on the first floor, then Angelina Stone on the stairwell, and then Michelle Stone and the couple's two sons. Matthew Stone Sr. was found on the second floor with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, investigators said. Lorah said what happened inside the home between the communications and the shooting, and what caused Stone to act, cannot be said with certainty.

City of Erie looking to heal

At the press conference, Erie Mayor Daria Devlin questioned if there was anything the city could have done to prevent the shooting. She asked whether there were opportunities to recognize that the family was struggling and whether systems could have responded differently. Devlin said she has begun conversations with healthcare leaders and community organizations about supporting families experiencing domestic violence and isolation. She said the city's focus will turn to helping the Perry Street neighborhood heal.