Keith James Cote was arrested Monday for allegedly offering to pay a marine to kill his ex-girlfriend. Travis County Sheriff’s Office
National
He offered a Marine $25,000 — to kill his ex-girlfriend for dating a black man, police say
By Josh Magness
October 25, 2017 10:58 AM
Texas police charged Keith James Cote, a 62-year-old from Austin, Texas, with soliciting to commit capital murder after he allegedly offered to pay a U.S. marine $25,000 if the veteran would shoot and kill Cote’s girlfriend.
Cote, arrested Monday, allegedly
told the Marine he wanted his girlfriend dead “because she’s dating a black guy,” according to KXAN.
The Austin Statesman reported that
the Texas man invited his acquaintance, who had two tours of duty in Iraq, over to his house to watch a Philadelphia Eagles football game on Oct. 7.
At first, Cote reportedly
asked the veteran if he knew how to buy a gun silencer, KVUE reported.
Then Cote allegedly told the veteran he had a deal “right up his alley” because he knew the Marine had killed people before, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Statesman.
Police say Cote
presented the veteran with $10,000 that he offered to give the Marine in exchange for killing his ex-girlfriend, according to the Associated Press. He added that he would give the Marine another $15,000 if he could “watch him put a bullet in her head.”
At first, the Iraq war veteran assumed Cote was joking, and said he thought nothing more of his alleged proposition, according to KVUE. But he said Cote kept calling, asking if the Marine was still interested in carrying out the deadly plot.
The concerned man then called Travis County police, telling them about the murderous offer, the Statesman reported. The police then equipped the veteran with a microphone, observing conversations between the two as Cote explained his plans for killing his ex-girlfriend.
Police located and reached out to Cote’s ex-girlfriend, who told authorities she broke up with him in 2011 after they dated for several years, KXAN wrote. According to an arrest affidavit, the woman told police “she was not surprised to learn of this plot.”
“When asked why she believed Mr. Cote would want her killed, she confirmed that Mr. Cote is a racist and confirmed that she is now dating a black man,” the Statesman reported the affidavit as saying. “She stated that the only thing Mr. Cote hates more than a black man was a white woman who is with a black man.”
Cote, who is in a wheelchair because of an accident, allegedly told the Marine he would kill his ex-girlfriend himself “if it were not for his accident,” according to KXAN.
He
is currently in Travis County Jail with a bond of $1 million, according to the Patch.
But police said Cote’s ex told them she doesn’t feel safe, even if he is in jail, KXAN reported.
“She stated that even in jail or prison she will continue to live in fear,” the affidavit read, “because she believes that he will still have the ability to hire someone to kill her.”