By Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First

An earlier version of this story appears in today’s Caledonian-Record. VDC reporter Mike Bielawski contributed information to the updated story. 

MONTPELIER — A Montpelier man with mental health issues is due in Vermont Superior Court in Barre this afternoon to face a charge of aggravated murder that he killed two family members, officials said.

Sources not authorized to speak publicly on the investigation identify the relatives as the suspect’s parents. 

Matthew Gomes, 29, was taken into custody at the home at 579 Gallison Hill Road about 11:30 a.m. Friday.

Police developed enough evidence to lodged him 12 hours later at the Northeast Correctional Complex (NECC) in St. Johnsbury. A state judge ordered Gomes held without bail pending his arraignment.

Gomes made self-incriminating statements during and after his 911 call to Montpelier Police about harming his relatives, officials said.  Responding Montpelier City Police officers found the bodies outside the home, city police said.

A 2022 GoFundMe page published by Mary Gomes stated that Matthew Gomes suffered a debilitating head injury: “A couple weeks ago, after Matt sustained a gash to his head that required him to go to the ED twice and get stitches, his physical and mental health started to decline. He started acting unlike himself with slurred and erratic speech.” It is not known whether the injury was sports-related. He is a former high school, college, and semi-pro football (Vermont Ravens) athlete. 

The specific names of the relatives and their ages have not been released by Vermont State Police as of Sunday afternoon.

Friends said the next of kin were notified on Friday afternoon, but state police said they would wait to name the family members until after their autopsies were completed.

Meanwhile, law enforcement still had the Montpelier home sealed off on Sunday.

State Police Lt. Andrew Jensen, the northern watch commander,  said Sunday afternoon law enforcement routinely keeps control of a homicide scene until the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office completes its work.

Authorities familiar with the case said the investigation is looking into a report that the killings happened after Washington County mental health officials attempted  a requested intervention on Gomes on Thursday, but did not detain him and may not have followed through in the case.

The following day, the double homicide was reported.

This marks the third time in two months in Vermont that an adult son has been implicated in the death of one or more parents.

Three family members died in a case in Pawlet on Sept. 15.  Meanwhile in West Enosburgh a father was killed with a baseball bat and his wife severely beaten on Oct. 4.  Their sons have been arrested and charged in cases in Rutland and Franklin Counties.

The Montpelier case came one day after the UVM Medical Center announced it wants to close its mental health facility in Berlin as a possible cost-saving measure.

Montpelier Police said officers, along with Montpelier Ambulance Service (MAS) were called to the Gallison Hill Road residence for what was classified initially as a physical altercation.

Police said Gomes is well-known to law enforcement.

He is a graduate of Montpelier High, where he played sports, and attended Castleton University where he majored in psychology, according to his LinkedIn profile.

State and Montpelier Police said after the double homicide they believed there was no identified threat to the community, but did not say the basis for that belief.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Berlin at (802) 229-9191.