New Hampshire investigators identified the home’s gas heating system as the source of the carbon monoxide leak, officials said. The deaths, which likely happened overnight, are believed to be accidental.
The state’s office of the chief medical examiner determined Matthew Goldstein’s cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning, and the manner of his death is pending. The cause and manner of deaths of Lyla, Valerie, and Violet also remain pending, officials said.
No working carbon monoxide alarms have been found in the home, officials said. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that kills hundreds of people every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Town records from Wakefield, N.H., show that the Goldsteins purchased the five-bedroom lakeside home in 2017. The property, which was built in 1984, is located on Balch Lake.
The family lived at 29 Margaret Road in Newton, according to city records. Flowers could be seen on the home’s front steps Friday afternoon.
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller issued a statement Friday evening saying, “The hearts of people across Newton are broken by the tragic loss of our neighbors Matthew and Lyla Goldstein and their daughters Valerie and Violet who died of apparent carbon monoxide exposure in New Hampshire.”
“I extend my deepest condolences to the Goldstein’s family, friends and neighbors. As we say as a measure of condolence in my Jewish faith — May the memory of Matthew, Lyla, Valerie and Violet be as a blessing,” Fuller said.
“On behalf of Newton’s Fire Chief Greg Gentile, we gently remind everyone to doublecheck that their carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order,” she said.
Michael Demott, a neighbor to the Goldsteins, said, “They were the best possible neighbors.”
“We’re just devastated,” Demott said by telephone Friday.
Matthew Goldstein was an eighth grade math and health teacher at the Edith C. Baker School in Brookline, according to Justin Brown, the president of the Brookline Educators Union.
The union “is deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of one of its members, Matt Goldstein, and his wife and daughters,” Brown said in a statement Friday. “In addition to his formal teaching duties, Matt supported students by leading math league and Baker’s GSA, a group that supports LGBTQ+ students. The union extends its deepest condolences to Matt’s extended family members and the educators, students, families and other caregivers who are part of the Baker community.”
Brookline Superintendent Linus J. Guillory Jr. said Goldstein was “an exceptional educator” and “beloved” member of the school community, and they are “deeply heartbroken” to learn of his passing.
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“Mr. Goldstein’s dedication to inspiring students and shaping young minds has left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him,” Guillory said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues and students during this profoundly difficult time. We are committed to providing the support and resources needed for the Baker School Community as we grieve this tremendous loss together.”
Lyla Goldstein worked as a project manager at the Microsoft office in Burlington, according to her LinkedIn page. She was listed as having been with the company for 16 years.
Goldstein was also listed as a board member of the Newton Girls Basketball Association, and previously served as a Girl Scout troop leader.
Valerie Goldstein was also an educator, working with Teach for America as a fifth-grade instructor in Rocky Mount, N.C., according to her LinkedIn. An alum of Newton South High School, she graduated from Syracuse University in May.
At Syracuse, she led a program to teach high schoolers career readiness and financial literacy, and she also captained the intramural volleyball team, according to Bill Coplin, her policy studies professor. He said she even helped him write his book, “The Path to Equity.”
”As I told her family at graduation, Valerie was an angel,” Coplin said. “When I talked to her parents and sister, I could see how supportive and wonderful they were. I will miss her very much, not just because she would have kept me informed of her journey to make K-12 education serve the needs of all students but also to be inspired by her.”
Both Matthew and Valerie Goldstein were active in theater. Matthew Goldstein participated in dozens of plays with the Newton Theatre Company, according to social media, including “The Importance of Being Earnest” and several Junie B. Jones productions. Valerie performed Shakespeare at Syracuse, according to her Facebook page.
Violet Goldstein was a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, according to a college spokesperson. In an email to students Friday, RISD president Crystal Williams described her death as an “unimaginable loss.”
“I know that you join me in feeling utter heartbreak at the loss of such a promising young member of our community, along with her family, on what should have been a joyous occasion,” Williams said. “We are in contact with Violet’s surviving family to offer our support, and we will plan any gatherings of our community to honor Violet’s life in accordance with their wishes.”
In a Newton schools podcast last year, Violet described her family as “half-Chinese,” with her mother’s side hailing from Hong Kong. She said her biracial identity was important to her, and described it as a theme that inspired much of her artwork.
Finleigh Lewis, Violet’s college roommate, called her “a beautiful source of light,” who radiated kindness and genuine care to every person she met, in a statement.
“She was able to soak in all of the beauty of the present through the smallest of things in her daily life and found fulfillment and happiness through them.”
“I was embraced by her family immediately, as Violet’s roommate and friend. I will forever be grateful for that,” Lewis said.
Suzanne Kreiter of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports. Sabrina Lam can be reached at sabrina.lam@globe.com. Kiera McDonald can be reached at kiera.mcdonald@globe.com.
