On July 24, 2018, a tragic incident occurred in Middletown, California, resulting in the deaths of three-year-old Hannah Love Chote, her mother Livienne Love Chote, and her father Jedediah Daniel Chote. The Lake County Sheriff's Office identified the incident as a murder-suicide. Jedediah Chote, 35, is believed to have shot his ex-wife Livienne, 37, and their daughter Hannah before turning the gun on himself. The bodies were discovered at Jedediah's father's home in the Whispering Pines community.
The investigation revealed that Jedediah and Livienne had been married in 2015, around the time of Hannah's birth. They had lost their home in the Valley Fire and moved to Oregon for about a year before returning to Lake County. Although they had divorced approximately a year before the incident, they had recently begun efforts to reconcile and were living together in an apartment in Middletown. On the day of the incident, they were visiting Jedediah's father's residence, a place they frequented.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from Jedediah's father, Benjamin Chote, who reported the shooting. Upon arrival, deputies found the three family members deceased from gunshot wounds, with Jedediah's wounds appearing to be self-inflicted. A shotgun was recovered at the scene. The investigation did not indicate the involvement of any other individuals, and no motive for the crime was immediately determined. Search warrants were executed at both the crime scene and the apartment shared by Jedediah and Livienne.
The community was left in shock by the incident, and the investigation continued to gather details about the family's background and the circumstances leading up to the tragedy. Despite the ongoing investigation, no further suspects or arrests were made, and the case was classified as a murder-suicide.
