The Murder of the Colemans

Summary

In this chilling true crime story, Chris Coleman, a bodyguard for televangelist Joyce Meyer, orchestrates the brutal murder of his wife and two children. The crime is preceded by threatening letters and emails, many directed at his family. After an affair and a desire to maintain his high-paying job, Coleman stages the murders to look like an attack from those with a vendetta against Meyer. Forensic linguistics links Coleman to the threatening communications, and despite the lack of direct evidence, circumstantial proof leads to his conviction. He is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Takeaways

• 😀 Chris Coleman's family received multiple threatening letters and emails before their murder in 2009.
• 😀 The threats targeted Joyce Meyers Ministries and Chris's family, specifically his wife and two young sons.
• 😀 Chris reported the threats to the police in December 2008 and April 2009, with the letters being hand-delivered without postmarks.
• 😀 On March 5, 2009, Chris returned home to find his family murdered, with spray-painted messages found on the walls.
• 😀 The victims, Sherry, Garrett, and Gavin Coleman, were all strangled, and the killer left disturbing messages written in red spray paint.
• 😀 Chris's odd behavior after discovering the murders, including not asking about the cause of death or wanting to see the bodies, raised suspicion.
• 😀 A woman named Tara Lands came forward, revealing that she had an affair with Chris since November 2008, coinciding with the time the threats started.
• 😀 Investigators believed Chris's motive for the murders was to avoid losing his job and financial support from Joyce Meyers Ministries due to a potential divorce.
• 😀 Forensic linguist Robert Leonard, along with FBI expert James Fitzgerald, analyzed the threatening communications and linked them to Chris's writing style.
• 😀 The linguistic analysis showed similarities between the threatening emails, letters, and graffiti, leading to the conclusion that Chris wrote them himself, which contributed to his conviction.
• 😀 Chris Coleman was found guilty of the murders of his wife and children, sentenced to three life terms without parole, and faced the possibility of the death penalty.

Q & A

What was the first sign of the threat against Chris Coleman and his family?

The first sign of the threat was an email sent to Joyce Meyers Ministries on November 14, 2008, threatening to kill the family of Chris Coleman, the bodyguard of Joyce Meyers, instead of targeting her directly.

How did Chris Coleman respond to the threatening letters?

Chris Coleman reported the threatening letters to the police in Columbus, Illinois, first on January 9, 2009, and then again on April 27, 2009, both times finding letters with no postmarks, indicating they were hand-delivered.

What happened when the police arrived at Chris Coleman's home on March 5, 2009?

When the police arrived at Chris Coleman's home, they found disturbing spray-painted messages on the walls, including 'I am always watching,' and discovered the bodies of his wife Sherry and their two children, Garrett and Gavin, who had been strangled to death.

What was unusual about Chris Coleman's behavior when he was informed about his family's deaths?

Chris Coleman’s behavior was considered odd as he did not ask how his family died or request to see their bodies when he was informed of their deaths, which raised suspicions about his involvement in the crime.

Who helped the police investigate the murder, and what information did they provide?

Tara Lands, a high school friend of Sherry’s, contacted the police and revealed that she had been having an affair with Chris Coleman since November 2008, suggesting a potential motive for the murders.

What was Chris Coleman's alleged motive for killing his family?

Chris Coleman allegedly killed his family to avoid divorce, which would have led to losing his lucrative job as Joyce Meyers' bodyguard and required him to pay child support, all to keep his financial stability intact.

How did forensic linguistics contribute to the investigation?

Forensic linguistics expert Robert Leonard, in collaboration with FBI forensic linguist James Fitzgerald, analyzed the threatening letters and graffiti at the crime scene, finding striking similarities between the writing styles, linking the messages to Chris Coleman.

What did the forensic linguistics analysis reveal about Chris Coleman's writing style?

The analysis revealed that Chris Coleman had a unique writing style, including the frequent use of 'U' instead of 'you' and incorrect apostrophes in contractions, which were also present in the threatening letters and graffiti, indicating his involvement in the crimes.

What was the verdict in Chris Coleman's case?

Chris Coleman was found guilty of killing his wife and two children based on circumstantial evidence, including forensic linguistic analysis. He was sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole.

How did the police initially struggle with finding direct evidence against Chris Coleman?

The police struggled with direct evidence, as the murder weapon was never found, Chris's DNA wasn't present in any incriminating places, and there was no proof that his laptop had been hacked to send the threatening emails, raising the possibility of reasonable doubt.