Chad VanScotter was dead before his body hit the floor. The 53-year-old had answered his apartment door on January 28, 2025, in Clarkston, Washington, to find his neighbor David Boyd standing there with a .38-caliber revolver. Within moments, VanScotter lay dying from multiple gunshot wounds—one of them striking him "right between his eyes," according to court records.
Background
VanScotter and Boyd lived in adjacent apartments on the 1200 block of Ash Street. For months, the neighbors had been locked in an escalating conflict over noise. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Boyd accused VanScotter of "bullying him for months" by playing loud music that prevented Boyd from sleeping.
The dispute reached its breaking point when VanScotter played Fred Rogers' classic television song "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" through his radio. Boyd told investigators he watches TV with earphones because he is hard of hearing and tries to be courteous to neighbors, yet he could still hear the Mister Rogers music emanating from VanScotter's apartment.
Boyd claimed that on the night of January 28, around 5:30 p.m., he attempted to go to sleep but was "tossing and turning" due to the noise. He told police he was "about to nod off" when he heard VanScotter move his radio closer to Boyd's bedroom wall and turn it back on.
Before the shooting, Boyd penned a note that prosecutors would later describe as both a murder manifesto and a suicide letter: "This a—hole has pushed me past my limit. I'm going to kill him and then myself I can't take anymore."
The Investigation
Clarkston Police officers were dispatched to the scene around 9 p.m. and found VanScotter dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers observed two bullet holes in his chest "side by side several inches apart" and a third wound directly in his forehead, authorities said.
Boyd admitted to shooting VanScotter with his .38-caliber revolver but claimed the killing was justified because VanScotter had answered the door holding "a long stick in his hand" and "swung it at him several times, hitting him in the head area."
When asked why he hadn't called police about the noise complaint instead of confronting his neighbor, Boyd told investigators he believed he would have been arrested "as the aggressor," according to the affidavit. He also claimed he had contacted authorities before over the music and that "police can never do anything about it."
Police discovered the revolver in Boyd's apartment along with additional notes—one requesting someone named Shannon Giesegle be called, and another stating: "Please just let me go I'm tired and my heart is worn out do not resuscitate me."
Boyd told investigators after the shooting that he had planned to kill himself but could not bring himself to do it, so he called 911 instead. He also expressed that he didn't believe he did anything wrong because "bullies deserve this," according to court documents.
Key Takeaways
- David Boyd, 76 at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement and first-degree unlawful possession of a gun
- VanScotter, 53, was killed on January 28, 2025, in Clarkston, Washington
- The dispute stemmed from months of noise complaints, including loud Mister Rogers music
- Police found Boyd's "suicide note" admitting he planned to kill his neighbor and then himself
- Investigators determined Boyd "acted with intent to confront his neighbor with a loaded pistol" after writing the murder note
What's Next
Boyd was sentenced to 23 years in prison on June 12, following his guilty plea. He had originally faced a first-degree murder charge but accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder. The case serves as a stark reminder of how neighborhood disputes can escalate into tragedy when individuals resort to violence rather than seeking peaceful resolution.