Lawsuit Alleges Washington County Mental Health Failed to Prevent Murders

Lawsuit Alleges Washington County Mental Health Services Ignored Warnings Prior to Montpelier Murders

A civil lawsuit filed in Washington County claims that local mental health authorities were explicitly warned that Matthew Gomes posed a threat to his parents months before he reportedly murdered them at their Gallison Hill Road home in Montpelier.

The legal action, brought forward by Matthew Gomes’s sibling and estate administrator through attorney Celeste Laramie, seeks wrongful death damages against Washington County Mental Health Services. The nonprofit provider allegedly possessed knowledge of violent threats and escalating instability but failed to take protective action.

Matthew Gomes, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of aggravated murder in connection with the November 2024 deaths of his parents, Jerry Gomes, 77, and Mary Gomes, 60. Court records indicate he is currently held without bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield and is undergoing evaluation for a possible insanity defense, with a hearing scheduled for January 21.

A Timeline of Escalating Alarms and Unheeded Warnings

Court documents trace a history of police calls and psychiatric interventions involving Matthew Gomes, who received regular and emergency care through the mental health provider. Records show law enforcement was called multiple times in January and February 2023 by either Matthew or his parents. During one January 2023 call, Matthew explicitly asked to speak with police about the “murders of his family.”

The family of an autistic man who was fatally shot by police in Maryland during a mental health crisis allege the county violated federal law by dispatching its officers without a plan, specialized mental health resources, nor nonlethal alternatives. https://t.co/na5gOXgPjG

— https://x.com/washingtonpost/status/2116221115911578106

The situation intensified. In February 2023, Matthew reportedly assaulted his mother, Mary, leading to a two-week hospitalization. Laramie’s court filing asserts that the defendant knew as early as January 2023 that Matthew had threatened to murder members of his family, yet no protective action was taken to safeguard Jerry and Mary Gomes.

The danger culminated the day before the killings. Court documents state that Mary Gomes contacted the mental health agency to report that she was frightened and feared her son might harm himself. Staff instructed her to call back once she located him so a crisis response team could be dispatched. After locating Matthew in Montpelier and bringing him home, Mary notified the provider, only to be told that no staff member or crisis intervention team would be sent.

As Matthew’s behavior escalated, Mary placed multiple calls to the agency. The lawsuit alleges that staff failed to communicate with each other regarding these repeated calls, nor were the warnings documented in the nonprofit’s system.

The Fatal Morning and Institutional Accountability

On the morning of the murders in November 2024, Matthew Gomes placed multiple 911 calls, eventually reporting he had killed his parents after “going crazy.” Police arriving at the Gallison Hill Road property located Matthew at the scene with blood on his clothing. The bodies of Jerry and Mary Gomes were discovered near a rear barn, bearing blunt force trauma, alongside a strong odor of gasoline near Mary’s body.

When Matthew called 911 that morning, a screener with Washington County Mental Health Services attempted contact by phone, but Matthew hung up. The provider did not choose to send someone to the home.

Beyond the wrongful death claims, the lawsuit accuses the nonprofit of consumer fraud. Laramie argues that the Gomes family relied on representations that the agency would provide services that it ultimately did not provide when Matthew Gomes was in crisis.

Representatives for Washington County Mental Health Services did not return requests for comment regarding the allegations.