PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The 35-year-old woman who died Wednesday in a murder-suicide in West Linn was “full of life and full of compassion,” according to one of her close friends.
But Bethany Schuch was also living in fear, trying to get away from the man who ultimately killed her. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said David Cote shot Schuch multiple times before turning the gun on himself on March 7.
“We’ve lost one of the most wonderful lives that I’ve ever known,” Schuch’s friend, Crystal Anoushiravani, told KOIN 6 News.
Anoushiravani said Schuch trained therapy dogs and “she had just the purest heart and her dream was to be a mother.”
According to court documents obtained by KOIN 6 News, Schuch filed a restraining order against Cote in November 2017 that was never served.
In the petition, Schuch said Cote had threatened her and he was mentally unstable.
“There was a very legitimate fear,” Anoushiravani said. “The past 6 months have been complete torment by him and her trying to hide from him and her changing her life and doing everything that was at her disposal to protect herself.”
Anoushiravani said Schuch and her mother both sold their homes and moved to avoid Cote and hired a private investigator and attorney.
In the petition, Schuch checked a box noting she feared imminent bodily injury and wrote that Cote told her to move to California because it wasn’t safe for her here. She said he was mentally unstable and threatened her.
The sheriff’s office said the petition was never served because Cote had moved to an unknown location.
“I know that Bethany was constantly calling on the restraining order,” Anoushiravani said. “She tried so hard that I feel there was a failing in the system at the court and social service system.”
The restraining order also said Cote should not be allowed to own or buy firearms or ammunition.
“If we would’ve known that he had access to firearms, if we would’ve known the depths of his threats, we would of done more even, send her out of state,” Anoushiravani said.
Between August 2012 and October 2013, Cote was charged with 9 misdemeanor charges of stalking, 8 charges of harassment by telephone and 3 felony charges for coercion.
Most of the charges were dismissed but he was convicted of stalking and menacing and ordered to provide yearly proof of his mental health by January 1 of each year. He was also ordered to stay away from the victim in this case, to undergo alcohol treatment, alcohol and drug counseling and mental health evaluations.
“She was just full of life and full of compassion and she was the friend that was the truest friend you could have,” Anoushiravani said.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for comment about the unserved order.