Vancouver Man Convicted of Murder After Bow-and-Arrow Killing of Acquaintance

A Washington state jury convicted Richard "Cole" Vanderhoek, 49, of second-degree murder for shooting David Collins dead with a bow and arrow. A neighbor heard a "thump" and found Collins in the driveway with an arrow in his chest.

Vancouver Man Convicted of Bow-and-Arrow Murder After Driveway Confrontation

A jury in Washington state has convicted Richard "Cole" Vanderhoek, 49, of second-degree murder in the bow-and-arrow killing of David Collins, 42, according to court records reviewed by Law & Crime.

The fatal confrontation occurred around 6:45 a.m. on April 2, 2024, outside a home on the 3200 block of NE Petticoat Lane in Vancouver, Washington. Vanderhoek called 911 that morning claiming he had been assaulted. Deputies arriving on scene found Collins dead on the ground, an arrow lodged in his chest.

A neighbor told investigators they had heard a sustained argument between the two men that turned physical. When Collins attempted to walk away, Vanderhoek drove toward him "aggressively," the neighbor said. They then heard a "thump" and looked outside to find Collins lying in the driveway, arrow in his chest.

Prosecuting attorney Luka Vitasovic, speaking during a first appearance hearing reported by local ABC affiliate KATU, described the act in stark terms: "The defendant essentially hunted down this victim, driving aggressively, revving his engine, after the victim had dissipated."

Vanderhoek invoked self-defense, telling deputies he "told him to stop assaulting me" and said he "didn't know what to do." Deputies noted several scrapes on Vanderhoek's face and elbow; he repeatedly asked them to photograph the injuries.

Prosecutors rejected the self-defense claim, pointing to the physical separation between the two men at the moment of the shot. A fence stood between Vanderhoek and Collins when the arrow was fired, prosecutors argued, which undercut any assertion of imminent threat.

Vanderhoek was arrested the same day and has remained in the Clark County Jail since. Sentencing is scheduled for September 30.

Collins' sister, Sabrina Meyer, spoke to the Spokesman-Review about her brother's death. "I actually have a voicemail that my daughter was able to save from her birthday last year where he's singing in this high-pitched, atrocious, atrocious voice. But it's so beautiful," she said. "And he would just make you giggle. No matter what, he was calling in to check on us. He never forgot anything … He was our big brother."

Source: Law & Crime