In the summer of 2019, the life of 26-year-old Kaitlyn Lee Cole was tragically cut short in what police determined to be a murder-suicide. On Sunday, June 30, 2019, Kaitlyn, a female, was found deceased in a hotel room in Traverse City, Michigan. She was a graduate of Bear Lake High School and had earned a degree in culinary arts from Northwestern Michigan College, working as a pastry chef at Good Harbor Café.
The discovery was made at the Hotel Indigo after Kaitlyn and her husband,
33-year-old Tyler Cole, failed to check out of their third-floor room. Hotel staff, unable to gain entry, alerted the authorities. Responding officers found the room was barricaded from the inside with a deadlock and an ironing board. Upon forcing their way in, they discovered the bodies of Kaitlyn and Tyler Cole on the bed.
Investigators believe that Tyler Cole shot his wife before turning the gun on himself. Each had suffered a single gunshot wound. A. 45 caliber Glock handgun was recovered from the scene, and police indicated it was found on Tyler Cole's person. Two other handguns were also found in the hotel room. Authorities did not find a suicide note and stated that no one at the hotel reported hearing any gunshots. The investigation into their deaths concluded it was a murder-suicide. Tyler Cole had a minor criminal record, with a 2008 conviction for attempted possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle. The couple, who had been married since January 2017, resided on Barlow Street in Traverse City.
