Early Monday morning (December 11), beloved Erie, Pennsylvania native and news anchor Emily Matson was struck and killed by a train. A coroner has since ruled her death a suicide.
Matson, who was a part of the Erie News Now team for two decades, was last on air on Friday night (December 8). The beloved 42-year-old anchor’s death was initially confirmed by her fellow members of the Erie News Now team.
As the outlet began to mourn the passing of Matson, a statement was released on behalf of the Lilly Broadcasting family and given by Matson’s show’s news director, Scott MacDowell. The statement read:
“It is with a very heavy heart that we have learned of the passing of our beloved Erie News Now news anchor Emily Matson. Emily was a shining light in our newsroom, delivering news with a passion and love she had for the Erie community and Northwest Pennsylvania. We loved Emily dearly and our hearts go out to the Matson family and her husband Ryan at this time.”
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Also speaking out was meteorologist Sara Tonks, who was one of Matson’s many colleagues to express their grief over her tragic death. Tonks said, “I can’t count the number of times that I would stop by her desk to talk to her or just listen to her talk to others.”
As Emily Matson’s family, friends, colleagues, and viewers continue to mourn her death, a coroner has since revealed the cause. According to the Erie County Coroner’s Office, Matson was killed when she was hit by a train in Fairview, Pennsylvania on Monday (December 11).
On Tuesday (December 12), Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook told The New York Post that Matson had taken her own life, adding that the evidence ruling her death a suicide was “unquestionable.”
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It is reported that after Emily Matson graduated from La Roche University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications and media technology, she joined the team at NBC affiliate WICU-TV in 2004.
Before leaving the station to become a general assignment reporter, she started her broadcast news career by producing a morning show. After joining the team at Erie News Now, Matson served as an employee for 19 years, during which time she co-anchored the 7 p.m. news desk with John Stehlin, and then the 11 p.m. news desk with Mike Ruzzi.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, by texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or by going to 988lifeline.org.
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