On a tragic afternoon in West Linn, Oregon, the life of 35-year-old Bethany Noelle Schuch, a Caucasian female, was cut short in a violent act that unfolded outside her mother's home. On March 7, 2018, David James Cote, 34, arrived at the residence on Alderwood Drive in a black SUV, carrying a large, scoped firearm. A witness saw Cote approach the home and then heard gunfire, prompting a call to 911.
The witness reported seeing Schuch shot in the breezeway between the house and the garage.
When Clackamas County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene around 1:30 p.m., they discovered a grim tableau. Schuch was found deceased, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Nearby lay the body of Cote, who had a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Investigators quickly determined the incident to be a murder-suicide. Initially, there was confusion, and authorities treated it as an active shooter situation, leading to the closure of nearby roads and parks, and placing local schools on lockout. This was lifted once they confirmed Cote was deceased at the scene.
The investigation that followed revealed a history of fear and attempts by Schuch to protect herself from Cote, with whom she had been acquainted. Court records showed that Schuch had obtained a restraining order against Cote in November of the previous year. However, the order was never served because authorities were unable to locate him. Cote had a criminal history that included convictions for stalking and menacing another woman in 2013. The weapon used in the murder-suicide, an SKS semi-automatic rifle, was sold to Cote illegally. The seller was later arrested and, in June, was sentenced to 60 days in jail. In the wake of her daughter's death, Schuch's mother filed a $10 million lawsuit against the man who sold the rifle and the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, alleging their actions, or lack thereof, contributed to the wrongful death of her daughter.
