What happened to the Harrison family?

May 2024 · 4 minute read

POLICE decided that a string of murders within the same family could not just be a coincidence.

As members of the Harrison family continued to show up dead, investigators didn't have to look too far to find the killers responsible.

What happened to the Harrison family?

On April 16, 2009, Harrison family patriarch Bill was found dead by his wife Bridget.

That Thursday night, police arrived at the family's home in Toronto, Canada, and concluded that the 64-year-old man died from natural causes.

Despite unsettling clues from the scene, medical officials listed Bill's cause of death as acute cardiac arrhythmia.

Tragedy befell the Harrisons again when another member of the family unexpectedly passes away.

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On April 21, 2010, matriarch Bridget was found dead by her grandson.

That Wednesday, her grandson discovered the 63-year-old's lifeless body at the bottom of the staircase of the same home where Bill died a year earlier.

Authorities arrived at the scene and noticed Bridget had bruising around her neck.

Due to the apparent throat injuries, the other family members suspected foul play.

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Bill and Bridget's niece Nicole Gallant told Dateline NBC: "There’s a whole other level of disbelief that something like that would have happened and it was — it was shocking.

"There was nothing believable about a perfectly healthy person having a catastrophic fall.

"I don’t buy it for a hot second. It was even more traumatizing."

Although foul play was suspected in Bridget's passing, her cause of death was ruled undetermined.

On August 23, 2013, Bill and Bridget's son Caleb became the third victim whose lifeless body was discovered at the family's home.

The late couple's late son was found in one of the bedrooms of the residence.

With bruising to his chin and throat and scratches on his chest evident, local authorities ruled Caleb's death a homicide.

Caleb's cousin Nicole recalled the scene: "This one floored me in a whole new way, so this was devastating. This time, I collapsed."

As Caleb's death became a murder investigation, law enforcement reopened Bill and Bridget's cases as well.

Through the reopening of the cases, authorities observed bruising on Bill's chest and neck, which led them to a renewed conclusion that the man was physically assaulted before he died.

Police tied all three of their deaths to two suspects who were coincidentally involved in a lengthy legal battle with the Harrisons at the time of their homicides.

Who were the Harrison family's killers?

As members of the Harrison family continued to be murdered, law enforcement suspected the late Caleb's ex-wife Melissa Merritt and her boyfriend Chris Fattore.

Caleb and Melissa were married for five years and share two children together.

In the years leading up to the deaths of the three victims, Melissa was involved in a legal dispute against the family.

Shortly after Bill's passing, Melissa was even arrested and pleaded guilty to parental child abduction of her and Caleb's two children.

In January 2018, Melissa and Chris were found guilty in relation to the triple homicide of Bill, Bridget, and Caleb.

Both parties were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.

How can I watch the Harrison family's Dateline episode?

The Harrison family's tragedy was recalled in an episode of Dateline NBC titled The House on Pitch Pine Crescent.

The House on Pitch Pine Crescent was first aired on May 18, 2018, as anchor Andrea Canning collected first-hand accounts from those close to the investigation.

On November 25, 2022, the broadcast is scheduled to be re-aired at 9pm EST on the aforementioned network.

Read More on The US Sun

Read More on The US Sun

For those that miss the special's initial Friday night airing, there are streaming options available.

Audiences that miss the initial airing can check out the Harrisons' episode through Hulu or Peacock.

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