Staff reports
Sunday, December 13, 2015 6:41 am
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SKOWHEGAN, Maine - Jason Cote told two friends "I did something (------) up," the night prosecutors say he killed Rochester native Ricky Cole in his Detroit home, one of the friends said in testimony Friday in Somerset County Superior Court.
Amy Tarr, of Palmyra, said she and her boyfriend, David Lefleur, picked up Cote the night of July 17, 2013, on Main Street, near where Cole lived, after Cote had gone to Cole's home to get drugs.
They then took Cote to his Palmyra home where he took off his clothes and went into his house wearing only boxer shorts, Tarr testified.
Later he returned to their car in different clothes and went to bed at their house, but during the night Tarr said she and her boyfriend, disturbed by Cote's earlier comment he had done something "(------) up," drove to Cole's home to check on his well-being and found him dead inside.
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| Ricky Cole |
Cote, 25, is charged in the bludgeoning death of Cole, 47. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which could land him in prison for a maximum term of life if convicted.
Cole was found dead about 3 a.m. July 18, 2013. An autopsy showed he died from blunt force trauma.
Police later found Cote's clothing allegedly worn during Cole's death beneath a vacant mobile home next to Cote's house. DNA samples taken from the clothes matched DNA from Cote and Cole, prosecutors say.
While David Lefleur, Tarr's boyfriend, met with police, Tarr went home, where Cote was still sleeping July 18. When he awoke she said, "What did you do to Rick? What the (----)?' He said, 'I hit him with a pipe,'" she testified.
Tarr told the court Cote did not say why he hit Cole with the pipe nor that he had to defend himself, as Cote's attorneys have tried to represent.
Under cross-examination Friday by the defense, Tarr said Cole would belittle Cote and threaten him.
Tarr said Cole's "favorite threat," one he would issue to Cote, as well as to others, was, "I'll kill you. I'll bury you up in Medway."
The trial resumes Monday.