Sheriff’s deputies were called to Richard Cotter’s rural Austin residence almost a year ago because of Cotter’s concern about his adopted son, Stacey Benjamin Cotter.

Wednesday, February 21, 2001

Sheriff’s deputies were called to Richard Cotter’s rural Austin residence almost a year ago because of Cotter’s concern about his adopted son, Stacey Benjamin Cotter.

The younger Cotter has been arrested in connection with the Thursday deaths of Richard Cotter, 73, and friend Mary McIntyre, 68. Officials have said the couple died before a fire was set to the residence to cover up the crimes.

According to Mower County Sheriff Barry Simonson, deputies from his office were called to Richard Cotter’s home on March 28. A report taken at the time of the incident indicates Stacey Cotter was despondent "over his father’s (Richard’s) health and recent events in his own life," Simonson said.

When Stacey Cotter, 23, threatened to harm himself, Richard Cotter called deputies for help. Stacey Cotter asked to speak to an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor and was taken to Austin Medical Center for evaluation, Simonson said.

According to the sheriff, the report is the only record of an incident involving Stacey Cotter in the current Mower County computer system. The younger Cotter now is being held at the Mower County Jail for arraignment in the homicides

Simonson also said Stacey’s family did not know where he was living at the time of last week’s fire. His driver’s license was expired, but it showed a Minneapolis address. He was arrested at an alcohol and drug treatment facility in Minneapolis at 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

No arraignment date or time has been set. County Chief Deputy Attorney Glen Jacobson said the complaint has not been filed yet because of the amount of paper work yet to be read in the case. After receiving an extension Wednesday of the law that states suspects must first appear in court 36 hours after arrest, the Mower County attorney’s office has until noon Friday to bring Stacey Cotter into court.

The Ramsey County medical examiner has not released a cause for the death of Mary McIntyre.

"The medical examiner is out of town," Simonson said. "I’m not sure if they’re waiting for results from the lab or if they are waiting for the medical examiner to come back."

Simonson said he will be meeting today with agents from the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to discuss the ongoing investigation, but "at this time the investigation hasn’t shown any other suspects."

Members of the community have expressed relief, frustration and disbelief to Simonson – relief a suspect has been apprehended and frustration and disbelief the suspect comes from within the Cotter family.

"There is disbelief that someone you love can be implicated," he said.

According to brother Mike Cotter and family friends, Richard Cotter’s house often was a gathering place for musicians. Cotter’s daughter, Jeanne, is a well-known pianist, performing and recording several records. There are at least a couple of Web sites devoted to her music and her career in music, including one at http://www.mythicrain.com.

On the site, Jeanne Cotter is quoted as saying of her late father Richard: "My whole life I have heard my father say, ‘Life is never separate from the land.’ I wrote and recorded the CD ("amber") to honor that truth."