Inset: Shooting victim Chad VanScotter (Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home and Crematory). Background: The apartments where Chad VanScotter was shot and killed by his neighbor, David Boyd, in Washington state (Google Maps).
A 78-year-old Washington state man is headed to prison after shooting his next-door neighbor to death with a .38-caliber revolver, telling cops he did it because the victim was "bullying him for months" by playing "loud music" — including a Mister Rogers song.
"This a— hole has pushed me past my limit," wrote David Boyd, of Clarkston, in a note he penned before the January 2025 shooting. "I'm going to kill him and then myself I can't take anymore."
Court records show that Boyd, who was 76 at the time of the shooting, was sentenced to 23 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement and first-degree unlawful possession of a gun.
A probable cause affidavit for Boyd's arrest, which was obtained by Law&Crime, said he accused his neighbor, Chad VanScotter, 53, of "bullying him for months" by playing "loud music" that caused Boyd to "not be able to sleep."
Boyd "got up and went to Chad's apartment with his pistol to confront [him]" on Jan. 28, 2025, a little before 9 p.m., according to the affidavit. Boyd claimed that when VanScotter answered the door he had "a long stick in his hand" and "swung it at him several times, hitting him in the head area," the document says.
Boyd told police that's what prompted him to open fire.
"David advised that around 1 p.m. … Chad came home and put his radio against the wall and was blaring Mister Rogers from inside his apartment," the affidavit recounted, in reference to the television show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" starring Fred Rogers.
"David advised he watches TV with earphones because he is hard of hearing and to be courteous to his neighbors," the affidavit said. "David advised he could hear Chad's noise over his."
Boyd said he attempted to go to sleep that night around 5:30 p.m. but was "tossing and turning and could not sleep" due to the noise. Boyd told police he was "about to nod off" when he heard VanScotter turn the radio off to move it closer to where Boyd's bedroom is and then turned it back on.
"David stated he was totally stressed out by Chad doing this for so long," according to the affidavit. "David advised Chad is a 'bully' and is scared of him. David advised that he 'lost it' and couldn't take it anymore."
Boyd told investigators that after shooting VanScotter he went back to his apartment and "was going to shoot himself," per the affidavit. But he "could not bring himself to do it so he called 911," according to police.
Clarkston Police officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Ash Street, where Boyd and VanScotter lived in adjacent apartments, around 9 p.m. that night and found VanScotter dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
"[Officers] observed Chad to have two bullet holes in his chest side by side several inches apart," the affidavit said. "[Officers] then observed a third bullet hole in his forehead right between his eyes."
Boyd admitted to shooting VanScotter with a .38-caliber revolver. Asked why he didn't call police to report a noise complaint, Boyd told investigators he decided instead to "confront Chad, rather than call police" because he believed he would have been arrested "as the aggressor," according to the affidavit.
"David advised he has called police before on Chad over the noise and the police can never do anything about it," the affidavit said. "David advised us that he is 'relieved that this is over.'"
Boyd went on to tell investigators that he didn't feel he did anything wrong because "bully's deserve this," according to the affidavit.
During a search of his apartment, police found the revolver Boyd used and a notebook on his living room dresser with the "pushed me past my limit" statement. Two other notes were found saying, "If you find me dead please call Shannon Giesegle … thank you Dave" and "PS please just let me go I'm tired and my heart is worn out do not resesatute me Dave."
Police determined that Boyd "acted with intent to confront his neighbor Chad with a loaded pistol and shot and killed him over ongoing loud music/noise after writing his suicide note and murder note stating he is fed up and is going to kill him, meaning Chad," according to the affidavit.
Boyd was being prosecuted in Asotin County Superior Court for first-degree murder before he agreed to take a plea deal for second-degree murder. He was convicted last week and sentenced on June 12.
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