A Maine man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his mother and her boyfriend before setting their home on fire. Matthew Cote, 26, received two life sentences plus 30 years after a jury found him guilty of the 2021 killings in Limington. The case involved incriminating statements from Cote and testimony about his actions afterward.
On June 17, 2021, first responders in Limington, Maine, arrived at a house fire and discovered the bodies of Cheryl Cote, 47, and her boyfriend Daniel Perkins, 45, inside. The victims had been shot dead before the fire started, according to authorities.
Hours later, police pulled over Matthew Cote, Cheryl's 26-year-old son, while he drove her Chevrolet Trailblazer. Upon apprehension, Cote reportedly said he "knew this was coming" and that "once I snapped, I couldn't stop and I emptied the whole magazine."
While in custody at York County Jail, Cote made further statements overheard by corrections officers during phone calls. He told an unknown person that he "blasted the nasty [expletive]," referring to his mother, and "set a fire to hide the nasty bodies because I didn't want anyone to see them." He added, "I just lost it."
Prosecutor Mark Rucci described Cote's actions as "goal-oriented and purposeful," noting he took a semiautomatic rifle into the home, killed the two people, burned the house, and then went to the beach. Cote's defense attorney, Tom Connolly, acknowledged in his opening statement, "It's not a whodunit," but urged the jury to consider hard facts. Cote had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
A jury convicted him of two counts of murder and one count of arson. On February 27, a judge imposed two life sentences plus 30 years for the arson. Before sentencing, Cote addressed the court: "I'm just very sorry, and I apologize to everybody."
No specific motive was detailed in court proceedings.
