Chesterfield police chief lauds officers, partners for arrest in Chester family murders

CHESTER — The Chesterfield police chief opted for creative prose Saturday in congratulating the department and others for the quick arrest of a man they believe responsible for the early morning killings Friday of a mother and her three young children.

"Evil came to Chesterfield yesterday morning and, under the cover of darkness, engaged in the unthinkable, the unimaginable," Col. Jeffrey Katz said in a Facebook post. "Before the sun would go down, the men and women of the Chesterfield County Police Department identified the personification of evil and captured it."

Katz added, "The next time evil would see darkness, it would be from within the confines of a jail cell."

He was referring to the pre-dawn ambush in a north Chester neighborhood off Hopkins Road and state Route 288 where the victims — JoAnna M. Cottle, 39; Kaelyn M. Parson, 13; and four-year-old twins Kinsey and Jayson Cottle — were shot to death inside their home in the 4200 block of Laurel Oak Road. The suspect, an estranged boyfriend of Cottle's and the father of the two youngest children, was arrested nine hours later in Waldorf, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb.

"We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s murders," Katz said in his message. "This event ended four bright and promising futures. It changed the world for so many. Our prayers are with them all."

More:Police: Maryland man will be charged with killing woman, four children at Chester residence

According to authorities, Cottle called police around 4 a.m. Friday and told them of a man outside her home who was trying to get in. That person eventually was able to get into the house, where he allegedly shot Cottle and the children, and all of that was heard over the phone call to the police

When officers got to the house, they found all victims dead inside the home and no sign of an intruder.

Investigators researched past reports of domestic issues involving Cottle, and that led them to Jonah Adams, 35, of Waldorf. Adams was arrested Friday afternoon near his home in Waldorf by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives agents, and still is in custody there.

Katz, in his message, offered "special thanks to our federal law enforcement partners for their assistance" in apprehending Adams. He noted that evil "can surface anywhere" and pledged the support of the Chesterfield Police Department in addressing it when it comes here.

"With broken hearts, we carry on alongside you, our beloved community, prepared to face evil on your behalf," Katz wrote. "We fight not because we hate what’s in front of us, but because we love what is behind us: you."

Adams has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Chesterfield police chief issues statement on mass murder and arrest