Court to Set Preliminary Hearing Date for Man Accused of Killing Mother, Uncle in Altadena

A date for a preliminary hearing is scheduled to be set on Wednesday for Robert Anderson Cotton, who is charged with fatally stabbing his mother and uncle at their Altadena home in 2021.

The court appearance will take place May 14 at 8:30 a.m. in Department H of the Pasadena Courthouse, located at 300 E. Walnut St.

Cotton, who was 32 years old at the time of the crime in March 2021, faces two counts of murder for the deaths of his mother, Carol Anne Brown, Ph.D., 67, and his uncle, Kenneth Wayne Preston, 69.

The stabbings occurred at the victims’ shared residence in the 3100 block of North Marengo Avenue in Altadena on March 22, 2021. The attack was partially witnessed by one of Brown’s colleagues during a Zoom call, who saw a man dragging another man into the living room. The witness called 911, initially believing it to be a kidnapping.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded around 2:45 p.m.

They discovered Preston dead in the driveway with multiple stab wounds and found Brown dead inside the home, also from stab wounds.

According to authorities, Cotton allegedly fled the scene in his mother’s Lexus SUV but later returned on foot while deputies were still investigating. He identified himself as a resident and was subsequently arrested.

A knife believed to be the murder weapon was recovered at the scene.

Cotton has remained in custody on $4.02 million at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility and Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles since his arrest.

Brown was a respected educator at Pasadena City College, where she had worked for about 15-20 years and co-coordinated the Black STEM Program. Colleagues remembered her for her dedication to helping students and her positive influence on the community. Community members expressed shock and grief, describing Brown as “a rare gem” and a person who “made struggling students feel welcome and valued.”

The college provided counseling services to staff and students in the aftermath of her death.

District Attorney George Gascón described the case as “horrific.”

The case gained significant attention due to the partial witnessing of the crime via Zoom, which led to the swift notification of law enforcement.

As of the latest available information, authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the killings. The case remains under investigation.

Cotton is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.