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.

MCLA Graduates Told to Make the World Worthy of Them

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:27PM / Saturday, May 16, 2026

Keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt was awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts. He told the graduates to make the world worthy of them. See more photos here.  

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Amsler Campus Center gym erupted in cheers on Saturday as 193 members of class of 2026 turned their tassels.

 

The graduates of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' 127th commencement were sent off with the charge of "don't stop now" to make the world a better place.  

 

You are Trailblazers, keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt reminded them, and a "trailblazer is not simply someone who walks a path. A trailblazer makes one, but blazing a trail does not happen alone. Every trailblazer is carrying tools made by somebody else. Every trailblazer is guided by stars they did not create. Every trailblazer stands on grounds shaped by ancestors, teachers, workers, neighbors, friends, and strangers."

 

Trailblazing takes communal courage, he said, and they needed to love people, build with people, argue with people, and find the people who make them braver and kinder at the same time.

 

"The future will not be saved by isolated geniuses, it will be saved by networks of people willing to practice courage together. The future belongs not to the loudest, not to the richest, not to the most certain, but to the most adaptive, the most creative, the most courageous, the most willing to learn."

 

Bobbitt was recently named CEO of Opera American after nearly five years leading the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He stressed the importance of art to the graduates, and noted that opera is not the only art form facing challenges in this world. 

 

"Every field is asking, who are we for now? What do we, what value do we create?" he said. "What do we stop pretending is fine. This is not just an arts question, that is a healthcare question, a climate question, a technology question, a community question, a higher education question, a democracy question, a life question. ...