Emily Matson's Obituary Celebrates Her Legacy and Remembers Her Late Daughter

The Erie, Penn., community was left mourning in December 2023 following the news that Emily Matson, an anchor who had been with Erie News Now for almost 20 years, had died at just 42 years old. Following the news of her death, many regular viewers of the news station wondered what happened to Emily, and how she died.

Emily, who was a native of Erie, wasn't shy about extolling the virtues of her hometown. She started at Erie News Now as a reporter and producer before methodically working her way up and into her current position.

Erie News Now's parent company Lily Broadcasting was the first to announce Emily's death in a statement released on Dec. 11, 2023. “It is with a very heavy heart that we have learned of the passing of our beloved Erie News Now news anchor Emily Matson,” the statement read. “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," the statement concluded.

According to reports, Emily died after being struck by a train. Then, on Dec. 12, 2023, Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook told the New York Post that Emily's death was a suicide, noting that the evidence was “unquestionable.”

In her bio for Erie News Now, which is written in the first person, Emily says that she was thrilled to be able to work as an anchor for her hometown news channel.

“I must be dreaming! An anchor gig in my hometown! I am so happy to be in Erie, telling the stories that impact my neighbors every day,” her bio reads. Emily had been with the station for almost two decades.

David Wolter, a former colleague of Emily's who now works in Kentucky, had nothing but kind things to say following her death.

“Her personality was contagious and the way she was on-air was exactly how she was off-air,” he said on Facebook. “She was real, and simply a wonderful person to know. It was always good times when I got the opportunity to work with her.”

In Emily's obituary, there's mention of her husband Ryan, a police officer from Erie, and her children, Kyle and Emily Onderko. Following the news of her death, Emily paid tribute to her mom on Facebook, calling her "the most beautiful person I know, inside and out." There's also mention of Emily's late daughter, Kayla Onderko. Little is known about Kayla and her cause of death.

Emily's impact was clearly felt by those who watched her as a news anchor for all these years in Erie, but also by everyone she worked with during her time on the air.