A Massachusetts family was found dead in their New Hampshire vacation home on Christmas Day after being hit overnight by a silent killer: carbon monoxide.
The lake house’s propane heating system appears to have malfunctioned, poisoning the family of four as they slept, but investigators don’t know why.
Matthew Goldstein, 52, was an elementary school teacher in Chestnut Hill and his wife Lyla Goldstein, 54, was a project manager at Microsoft.
Their daughters, Valerie, 22, who was also a teacher, and Violet, 19, a student, also died in the accident.
The family lived in Newton, Massachusetts, and visited their lake home in Wakefield, New Hampshire, during the Christmas holidays.
Investigators said they have not yet determined what caused the apparent carbon monoxide leak from the propane heating system.
New Hampshire Fire Marshal Sean Toomey said no carbon monoxide detectors were found in the home, and he urged people to install and maintain such detectors.
“This has been a terribly tragic year, both in terms of fire and carbon monoxide deaths,” Toomey said.
A Massachusetts family was found dead in their vacation home on Christmas Day after being hit overnight by a silent killer: carbon monoxide. (Pictured: the Goldstein family)
Matthew Goldstein (left), 52, was an elementary school teacher in Chestnut Hill and his wife Lyla Goldstein (right), 54, was a project manager at Microsoft
The family lived in Newton, Massachusetts, and visited their lake house (pictured) in Wakefield, New Hampshire over the Christmas holidays.
“Losing an entire family of four in the middle of the holiday season is even more painful.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes carbon monoxide as a colorless, odorless gas that can kill without warning.
According to the CDC, more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning unrelated to fires, while another 14,000 end up in the hospital.
Police arrived at the home in the town of Wakefield at around 4.20pm on Christmas Day after the family failed to show up as expected at an extended family gathering.
Other family members had tried to message and call each of the four, Toomey said. Those family members then called police, who conducted a welfare check, he said.
Toomey said police found three of the victims in bedrooms and the fourth in a bathroom, and authorities believe they died during the night.
When firefighters arrived, they found the home had elevated carbon monoxide levels, Toomey said, adding that the deaths were believed to be accidental.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New Hampshire completed an autopsy of Matthew Goldstein and found his cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. The autopsies of the other three victims have yet to be completed.
Goldstein’s daughters, Valerie (center), 22, who was also a teacher, and Violet (right), 19, a student, also died in the accident
Investigators said they have not yet discovered what caused the apparent carbon monoxide leak from the propane gas heating system
A listing on Redfin says the home (pictured), which includes a pool and dock, was recently renovated and had a new, efficient heating system
Matthew Goldstein taught eighth grade at the Edith C. Baker School near Boston, which serves the Chestnut Hill and South Brookline neighborhoods of Brookline.
‘Sir. Goldstein’s dedication to inspiring students and shaping young minds has left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues and students during this extremely difficult time,” Brookline Public Schools Superintendent Linus Guillory said in a statement.
Matthew Goldstein had also performed in many plays for the Newton Theater Company.
Lyla Goldstein’s LinkedIn profile revealed that she had worked at Microsoft for more than 16 years and had been a lead project manager for the past four years, focusing on projects involving data and artificial intelligence.
Valerie Goldstein’s LinkedIn profile said she was working as a fifth-grade teacher in eastern North Carolina, in the first year of a Teach for America commitment after graduating from Syracuse University.
She said in her profile that she hoped for a future career in education policy and advocacy.
Violet Goldstein was a freshman at the Rhode Island School of Design, said school President Crystal Williams.
“I know that you, like me, feel deep sorrow at the loss of such a promising young member of our community, along with her family, on what should have been a joyful occasion,” Williams wrote in an email to the community of the school.
Police arrived at the home in the town of Wakefield at around 4.20pm on Christmas Day after the family failed to show up as expected at an extended family gathering
The Goldstein family was hit by a silent killer on Christmas Day: carbon monoxide
The family had been vacationing at their lake house in Wakefield, New Hampshire
Goldstein’s relatives raised the alarm after they failed to show up for a Christmas gathering
Tax records show the house, at the northern tip of Balch Lake, was owned by the couple.
A listing on Redfin says the home, which includes a pool and dock, was recently renovated and had a new, efficient heating system.
Temperatures in Wakefield reached a low of about 13 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 degrees Celsius) on Christmas Day.
Toomey said investigators believe the heating system in the home malfunctioned, allowing carbon monoxide to escape outside the normal ventilation system.
He said leaks can occur when there is no efficient combustion in propane, oil or wood heating systems.
In addition to having alarms, he said, people should make sure their chimneys are routinely cleaned and their systems are maintained.
They should also check in the winter to make sure the vents aren’t blocked by snow or ice, he said.