DA Says Kelsie Cote Killed Grandmother, Attempted to Conceal Evidence

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The district attorney says Kelsie Cote assaulted and killed her grandmother with scissors and a paper weight on Halloween night and attempted to conceal the evidence. 

On Thursday, Cote was arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court for first degree murder of Doris A. Cote on or between Oct. 31 and Nov.1, 2022. Her counsel waived the reading of the remaining counts on the indictment and a pre-trial hearing has been set for Nov.14. 

Cote, 26, of 22 Rich St. in North Adams, was charged with murder, assault to murder and evidence tampering in the death of her 74-year-old grandmother. 

Cote, who had a not-guilty plea entered on her behalf, entered the court room in a wheel chair for the arraignment. 

It is alleged that on or about Oct. 26 and on Nov. 1, Cote altered, destroyed, mutilated, or concealed a record, document, or other object or attempted to with the intent of impairing the record, document, or object's integrity for use in an official proceeding. 

On or between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 is alleged that Cote assaulted and beat her grandmother with a paperweight and scissors, assaulted her scissors with the intent to murder, and by such assault did kill her in her home at 300 Church St.  

The Chief Medical Examiner in Westfield found that Doris Cote "suffered from bruising at the base of her neck, the center of her forehead, the bridge of her nose or left cheek and her left ear. There were seven total wounds that were primarily about her head."

During police interviews prior to her arrest, Kelsie Cote said she panicked upon finding her grandmother's body and did not call for help right away. Police also reported that Cote admitted to cleaning up the scene.

The affidavit includes include a photocopy of Doris Cote's will that names Kelsie Cote as an heir to more than $1,000,000.

North Adams Students Support Hometown Heroes Banner Program

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
07:04AM / Saturday, April 11, 2026

Drury High civics students Olivia Irace, Gabriella Packard and Paige Burdick spearheaded the project for their class.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Local veterans are being honored through a cross-high school collaboration, with McCann Technical School CAD students manufacturing custom hardware for veteran banners and Drury High School civics students building a digital archive to preserve the veterans' legacies.

 

"It is super exciting for me," Veterans Agent Kurtis Durocher said. "It saves us money, and more importantly, it gets students involved. You really can't put a value on that."

 

The Veterans Services Department plans to install the banners downtown to honor local service members. The project was well underway last year; however, the old brackets used to hang banners on city light posts were in poor condition.

 

Durocher reached out to McCann Superintendent James Brosnan last fall, hoping the school could assist.

 

"I asked if it was something they would be interested in. We needed these brackets, and I thought it would be a great project for the students," Durocher said. "Jim, being a veteran himself, jumped on it. So within two weeks, we had a meeting."

 

Durocher needed 100 brackets to support banners for 50 veterans. He noted that the students saved his department nearly $6,500, with McCann supplying all the necessary materials.

 

While the new brackets are similar to the ones currently on Main Street, the design has been significantly improved. Computer assisted design (CAD) instructor Joshua Meczywor said students reverse-engineered the existing hardware to create a sturdier version.