Resolved case
Waterbury, Vermont
•
2024-06-24
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Intimate partner
Domestic violence
fatality
Intimate partner
homicide
Elder abuse
Financial exploitation
Strangulation
Repeat offender
Criminal justice system
barriers
Life and memory
Richard Eugene "Richie" Cote was a lifelong, deeply rooted resident of Morrisville, Vermont. Born on December 27, 1947, to Roger and Marie Cote, he was a 1966 graduate of Peoples Academy. Family and friends remember Richard as a kind, generous, and adventurous individual who once spent several years backpacking across Europe in his youth. Upon returning to Vermont, he turned his extensive knowledge and passion for classic automobiles into a decades-long career as a local entrepreneur. He established Richard’s Auto Body & Repair, a specialized automobile restoration business, and expanded his entrepreneurial reach in 1990 by founding Richard’s Limousine Service. Richard possessed an impeccable work ethic and was highly regarded as a dependable community member who was always willing to lend a helping hand. At 76 years old, he remained actively engaged in operating his businesses and supporting his five siblings, nieces, and nephews up until his life was cut short.
Fatal incident
On the evening of July 23, 2024, Richard Cote completed a bus driving shift for National Life, returning home to his Morristown property at 813 Elmore Road around 9:45 p.m. Theodore Farnham, who was struggling financially and actively evading court appearances, was waiting for him. Surveillance video and tracking evidence documented that the two men were inside the residence together until approximately 2:00 a.m. on July 24, at which point Farnham departed in Cote’s red Ford truck.
When Cote failed to open his auto shop or respond to contact the next morning, an employee grew concerned and requested a welfare check. Responding Morristown Police officers forced entry into Cote's upstairs apartment at 9:02 a.m., discovering his body on the bedroom floor with severe trauma. An autopsy performed by Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kathleen McCubbin determined the cause of death to be asphyxixia due to compression of the neck (strangulation), with possible smothering, alongside blunt force trauma to the head, neck, torso, and extremities. Investigative officials described the crime scene as indicative of an emotionally charged, violent assault.
Aftermath
Following the homicide, Farnham embarked on a fraudulent shopping spree using Cote's stolen credit cards across Hardwick, South Burlington, and Williston, accumulating over $1,200 in charges by late morning on July 24. Investigators traced his movements through surveillance video, financial records, and cell phone tracking, and later recovered a shirt worn by Farnham containing Cote's DNA inside the victim's abandoned truck.
Farnham, who was actively evading law enforcement on separate trespass and larceny charges, was apprehended on August 1, 2024, at a known drug house in Waterbury. He was arraigned on August 2, 2024, in Franklin County Superior Court, where he initially pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and was ordered held without bail.
In January 2026, just prior to his scheduled trial in Lamoille County Superior Court, Farnham entered into a negotiated plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder—a requirement insisted upon by the prosecution to ensure accountability and avoid a no-contest plea. On January 12, 2026, Judge Justin Jiron sentenced Farnham to 25 years to life, with all but 16 years suspended. Upon his eventual release, Farnham will remain under lifetime probation supervision. A Mass of Christian Burial was held for Richard Cote on August 10, 2024, at the Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Morrisville.
Prevention context
This case illustrates several systemic barriers, missed interventions, and patterns within the criminal justice and social support networks:
• Persistent Repeat Offending and Systemic Gaps: Prior to the homicide, Farnham had accumulated 533 law enforcement contacts, 19 felony charges (resulting in 11 convictions), and 101 misdemeanor charges (resulting in 67 convictions), alongside dozens of violations of court orders and failures to appear. Local prosecutors noted that a historically lax judicial framework left authorities unable to effectively utilize habitual offender laws to detain high-risk individuals, creating a "catch-and-release" pattern that left vulnerable community members exposed.
• Financial Exploitation and Coercive Dynamics in Vulnerable Relationships: Farnham and Cote maintained an intermittent relationship over 30 years, during which Farnham frequently stole from Cote to support an unstable lifestyle linked to substance use. This case highlights how severe domestic danger can escalate when financial dependency, substance abuse, and unwanted relational or sexual pressure intersect, particularly when an older adult is targeted by a volatile associate.
Family interviews and memorial voices
When families choose to speak, their words help preserve memory, context, and the human reality behind the public record.
Family interview
Career criminal Farnham to serve 16 years for second-degree murder — Waterbury Roundabout
verified
Career criminal Farnham to serve 16 years for second-degree murder — Waterbury Roundabout
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Additional evidence and source material
Some materials do not fit neatly into one category but still belong in the documentary record of the case.
News report
Man arraigned for murder of 76-year old Morristown man
Provides comprehensive details of the initial investigation, the arraignment proceedings, DNA evidence findings, a timeline of the night of the murder, and the complex nature of the relationship.
verified
Man arraigned for murder of 76-year old Morristown man
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Other record
Supporting source
Obituary of Mr. Richard Cote
verified
https://www.holcomb-desgroseilliers.com/obituary/Richard-Cote
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