Picture: Family of four found dead in New Hampshire home on Christmas Day after ‘silent killer’ attack

A Massachusetts family was found dead at their New Hampshire vacation home on Christmas Day after being attacked by a silent killer (carbon monoxide) overnight.

The lakeside home’s propane heating system appears to have malfunctioned, poisoning the family of four while they sleep, 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, 22-year-old Valerie, who was also a teacher, and 19-year-old Violet, a university student, also died in the accident.

The family lived in Newton, Massachusetts, and were visiting their lakeside home in Wakefield, New Hampshire, over the Christmas holidays.

Investigators said they have not yet figured out what caused the apparent carbon monoxide leak from the propane gas heating system.

New Hampshire Fire Marshal Sean Toomey said there were no carbon monoxide alarms in the home and urged people to install and maintain such alarms.

‘This has been an incredibly tragic year, both in terms of fire deaths and carbon monoxide deaths,’ Toomey said.

‘Losing a family of four at the height of the holiday season hits home even more.’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes carbon monoxide as a colorless, odorless gas that can kill without warning.

More than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning unrelated to wildfires, while 14,000 people are hospitalized, the CDC said.

Police arrived at the Wakefield townhouse at around 4.20pm on Christmas Day after the family did not turn up for an extended family gathering as expected.

Toomey said he tried texting and calling each of the four other relatives. He said these relatives then called the police, who also conducted a welfare check.

Toomey said police found three of the victims in their bedroom and the fourth in the bathroom, and authorities suspect the victims died overnight.

When firefighters arrived, they found high levels of carbon monoxide in the house, Toomey said, adding that the deaths were believed to be accidental.

The New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner’s Office completed Matthew Goldstein’s autopsy and determined the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. Autopsies for the other three victims have not yet been completed.

Matthew Goldstein taught eighth grade at the Edith C. Baker School near Boston, which serves Brookline’s Chestnut Hill and South Brookline neighborhoods.

‘Mr. Goldstein’s dedication to inspiring students and shaping young minds left an indelible mark on everyone 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 stated that she worked at Microsoft for more than 16 years and was the principal project manager for the last four years, focusing on projects involving data and artificial intelligence.

Valerie Goldstein’s LinkedIn profile said she worked as a fifth-grade teacher in Eastern North Carolina after graduating from Syracuse University and in the first year of her Teaching for America commitment.

She said in her profile that she hopes to pursue a future career in education policy and advocacy.

Violet Goldstein was a freshman at the Rhode Island School of Design, said Head of School Crystal Williams.

“I know you join me in sorrow at the loss of a promising young member of our community with his family at a joyful event,” Williams wrote in an email to the school community.

Tax records show the couple owned the house at the northern end of Balç Lake.

A listing on Redfin notes that the home, which includes a pool and dock, was recently renovated and has a new, efficient heating system.

Temperatures reached a low of about 13 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 degrees Celsius) in Wakefield on Christmas Day.

Investigators believe the heating system in the home malfunctioned, causing carbon monoxide to escape the normal ventilation system, Toomey said.

Leaks can occur when propane, oil or wood heating systems lack efficient combustion, he said.

In addition to having alarms, he said people should also ensure their chimneys are routinely cleaned and their systems serviced.

They should also check that the vents are not blocked by snow or ice during the winter months, he said.