On the evening of October 12, 2015, the quiet of Swan Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, was shattered by a 911 call reporting a person had been shot. When Sullivan County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the residence at 177 Cohen and Cohen Road, they discovered 34-year-old Michael Northcote deceased inside his home. An autopsy later confirmed that Northcote's death was a homicide resulting from gunfire.
While authorities assured the public that the incident did not appear to be a random act, they still urged residents to remain vigilant.
The investigation into the death of Michael Northcote, a male, involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police, the FBI Safe Streets Taskforce, and the Sullivan County District Attorney's Office. Their collaborative efforts led to a break in the case several months later. In February 2016, it was announced that four individuals had been arrested in connection with the murder and robbery of Northcote.
The suspects were identified as 47-year-old Deanna Duncan of Liberty, 26-year-old Jeffery Herring of South Fallsburg, 44-year-old William Lewis of Monticello, and 25-year-old Mark Mack, also of Monticello. All four were charged with murder and robbery. Following their arraignment, they were remanded to the Sullivan County Jail without bail.
