Man Gets 23 Years for Shooting Neighbor Over Loud ‘Mister Rogers’ Music: ‘I Lost It’

A Washington state man was so tired of listening to his neighbor blasting music that he wrote a murder note, grabbed a revolver, walked next door and shot him.

Law&Crime reported on Tuesday, July 8, that David Boyd, 78, of Clarkston, was sentenced June 12 in Asotin County Superior Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Court records show Boyd had grown increasingly frustrated with his next-door neighbor, Chad VanScotter, 53, whom he accused of “bullying him for months” by playing “loud music” that left him unable to sleep, as per Law & Crime.

Among the songs blasted through the shared wall was a track from the beloved children’s television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

According to the affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, on the night of January 28, 2025, Boyd had tried to fall asleep around 5:30 p.m., when VanScotter allegedly moved his radio closer to Boyd’s bedroom wall and turned it back on. Boyd snapped.

Before heading to VanScotter’s apartment with his .38-caliber revolver, he wrote a note: “This [Expletive] has pushed me past my limit. I’m going to kill him and then myself. I can’t take any more.”

When VanScotter answered the door, Boyd claimed he “had a long stick in his hand” and “swung it at him several times, hitting him in the head area,” according to a probable cause affidavit.

Boyd opened fire, striking VanScotter twice in the chest and once between the eyes. “David stated he was totally stressed out by Chad doing this for so long,” the affidavit said. “David advised Chad is a ‘bully’ and is scared of him. David advised that he ‘lost it’ and couldn’t take it anymore.”

After the shooting, Boyd returned to his apartment intending to take his own life but called 911 instead.

He later told investigators he was “relieved that this is over” and felt no remorse, saying “bully’s [sic] deserve this.”

Boyd had previously called the police about the noise but told investigators that, since “the police can never do anything about it,” he decided to confront VanScotter himself.

Boyd originally faced a first-degree murder charge before pleading down to second-degree murder. He was sentenced June 12 to 23 years in prison. He will be 101 years old when he is eligible for release, as per the outlet.