Daniel Perkins

In the small town of Limington, Maine, 46-year-old Daniel Perkins was known by his daughter as a protective father who was so good at playing the guitar that he created his own songs. He and his 47-year-old girlfriend, Cheryl Cote, lived together in a home on Hardscrabble Road. In the early hours of June 17, 2021, their lives were cut short in an act of violence that shook the quiet community.

Around 5 a.m. that morning, a retired firefighter driving by spotted the couple’s house on fire and called 911. When emergency crews arrived and extinguished the blaze, they discovered the bodies of Daniel Perkins, a White male, and Cheryl Cote inside. An investigation quickly revealed that the fire was not the cause of their deaths. Both victims had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and authorities determined the fire had been intentionally set as an attempt to conceal the double homicide. A neighbor later reported hearing gunshots between 1 and 2 a.m.

The investigation swiftly led police to a suspect: Cheryl Cote’s 21-year-old son, Matthew Cote, who also lived at the residence. He was located later that morning, driving his mother’s Chevrolet Trailblazer not far from the crime scene. During the traffic stop, as officers approached, Cote reportedly told them he “knew this was coming.” He was taken into custody and allegedly told investigators that he had “snapped,” and that “once I snapped, I couldn't stop.”

Matthew Cote was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and one count of arson. He was ordered to be held without bail and to undergo a mental health evaluation. After initially pleading not guilty, Cote entered an additional plea in June 2024 of not criminally responsible by reason of insanity. His defense attorneys noted a history of serious mental illness, including diagnoses of schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder before he turned 16.

Cote’s trial began in January 2026. Prosecutors argued that his actions were purposeful, detailing how he had fired a semi-automatic rifle nearly 30 times at his mother and Perkins before setting the house on fire and leaving. The York County jury was not swayed by the insanity defense and found Matthew Cote guilty of two counts of murder and one count of arson.

At his sentencing hearing in February 2026, family members gave emotional impact statements. Daniel Perkins’s daughter said, “To most, Daniel Perkins is just a name written on all these court documents and news articles. But to me, he was my dad.” Cote addressed the court and apologized to the families. A judge then sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences for the murders, with an additional 30-year sentence for the arson conviction.