Robert Cotter was an eighteen year old teen killer from Fresno California who called police to say his fifteen year old brother murdered their father and then killed himself. However when police arrived at the Fresno residence it soon became obvious that something else was at play. Robert Cotter who attempted to blame the double murder on his fifteen year old autistic brother however soon his story had some major holes in it. The fifteen year old brother Brian Cotter would die at the hospital a day later while their father Patrick Cotter was pronounced dead at the scene. Robert Cotter would be arrested days later and would later be convicted of the double murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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A California man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the double-slaying of his brother, who has autism, and his father, which he then tried to cover up as a murder-suicide.
Robert Cotter, now 19, initially tried to convince authorities his younger brother,15-year-oldBrian Cotter, fatally shot his father, 53-year-old Patrick Cotter, inside their Fresno mobile home. He called authorities himself the night of the killings, which occurred in May 2021, claiming Brian then turned the firearm on himself, according to KFSN.
For months, it appeared Robert would get away with the gruesome crime, but officers combing through his internet history found searches on topics like how to make murder look like a suicide. The Fresno Police Department, in a statement, also revealed that his account was “inconsistent with the physical evidence obtained during the investigation.”
Authorities said Robert, then 18, waited for both victims to fall asleep before first shooting his father, and then turning his attention to Brian.
“His brother woke up, started to run away and he pulled his brother by the collar and shot him in the head,” said prosecutor Daniel Walters.
Robert initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but confessed his crimes shortly after being arrested. His attorney, Emily Takao, argued that Robert had a difficult and traumatic life.
He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murders plus 50 years to life for using a gun.
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An 18-year-old is in custody, accused of killing his father and brother.
Police were called to a shooting on W. McKinley Ave. on Monday, May 17th.
When they got there they found 53-year-old Patrick Cotter dead from a gunshot wound.
Officers also found Cotter’s 15-year-old son, Brian, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Brian was take to CRMC where he died days later in the ICU.
Detectives interviewed 18-year-old Robert Cotter, who was in the mobile home at the time of the shooting.
Robert told investigators that his 15-year-old brother shot his father, then turned the gun on himself.
After an extensive investigation, homicide detectives and the Fresno County Coroner’s Office, determined that the statements made by Robert were inconsistent with the physical evidence.
Robert was arrested on Friday for the double murder of his father and younger brother.
Detectives says Cotter admitted to planning and acting out the brutal murders.
He was booked into the Fresno County Jail on two counts of murder
https://kmph.com/news/local/detectives-say-murder-suicide-in-fresno-was-really-a-double-homicide