In the early morning hours of April 15, 2021, Adam Castonguay, a 43-year-old male, was found unconscious with a gunshot wound to his chest at a residence on Village Road in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Despite the efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident, which initially appeared to be a homicide, quickly turned into a domestic investigation.
Authorities identified Mr.
Castonguay's 22-year-old son, Alex Cote, as the primary suspect in the fatal shooting. Following the incident, Cote fled the location on foot. An immediate search for him was launched, and he was located and taken into custody without incident in Pawtucket later that same day. Cote was subsequently charged with domestic homicide, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm without a permit.
The case proceeded to a jury-waived trial the following October. During the trial, evidence was presented that the shooting occurred during a physical altercation between the father and son. Cote's defense argued that he acted in self-defense, stating that his father was choking him at the time he fired the weapon. The judge, Associate Superior Court Judge Daniel Procaccini, ultimately ruled that Cote was in danger of death or imminent serious bodily harm and had acted in self-defense. As a result, Alex Cote was acquitted of the murder charge in connection with his father's death.
