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 Holds Groundbreaking for New $65M Greylock School

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
06:25PM / Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Connie Tatro, a School Building Committee member, and her daycare charges have been keeping a close watch on the project. See more pictures here. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The groundbreaking on Tuesday for the new Greylock School was a mesh of past and present. 

 

As a long line of officials grabbed their shovels for the ceremonial dirt toss, the old school was being taken apart behind them and forms for the footings for the new school were being installed across the way. 

 

And perhaps the most important component of the day were the children from Connie Tatro's daycare in their safety vests, already digging in the dirt. 

 

They will be the first prekindergarten class when the school opens in fall 2027.

 

"This is truly a special moment for all of us as this school is being built as a community school today, we are marking more than start of a construction project," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey. 

 

"We're marking the moment when years of planning, collaboration and community commitment become something real, something visible and something that's going to last long beyond any of us. This is where we truly begin turning work from conception to reality."

 

It's taken three mayors, three superintendents, three school building committees and one contentious vote to get to this point.