Sheri Coleman, sons Garett and Gavin murdered 5-5-09, Columbia, IL. Pt1

[analytical]

Greetings SeriouslySearching,

Haven't had a chance to read this whole page yet, but you wrote:

>>Chris Coleman, 32, who works security for televangelist Joyce Meyer in Jefferson County, has hired well-known Clayton criminal defense attorneys Arthur Margulis and his son, William.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/new...6?OpenDocument

It sounds like the press knows her identity. (We need to find her, too!)

Now...why would JMM be hiring a criminal defense attorney? This is VERY interesting to me. <<

I don't think JMM hired the attorney, it appears to have been Chris "who works security for..." that did the hiring.

W

There is nothing at that link .. was it a poster comment or an article? I tried to find it myself before asking for clarification. Thanks

 

[SuziQ]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...74A63CA512CC24EA862575B2000C3636?OpenDocument

(snip)
Chris Coleman, 32, who works security for televangelist Joyce Meyer in Jefferson County, has hired well-known Clayton criminal defense attorneys Arthur Margulis and his son, William.

 

[analytical]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...74A63CA512CC24EA862575B2000C3636?OpenDocument

(snip)
Chris Coleman, 32, who works security for televangelist Joyce Meyer in Jefferson County, has hired well-known Clayton criminal defense attorneys Arthur Margulis and his son, William.

thanks..the full link was posted a few messages down

 

[Wrinkles]

Hello Analytical,

I hope you don't mind...but I am going back to you mentioning that you read this whole thread and ...

>>It appears only one poster has made mention of this crucial piece of information.<<

I've been back again through this thread and this was hit on repeatedly. I knew that I had brought it up and banged on it in another message -- and I know others have too. Okay...so I found this again:

Message #311:
>>I would prefer to learn that someone else was responsible for this so... I've entertained thoughts that just maybe someone was jealous of Chris at work, maybe someone who was also in security. I've also entertained that maybe some job he took in his own company put him on surveillance of some really bad people. Either way...there could have been someone really sucking on an "I'll get my vengeance" root. That being the case...I go back to thinking about the "I told you this would happen."

That would seem to indicate that the threats told Chris that they were going after his wife and kids i.e. I told "you" <----

Well, I know that a person's faith can get them saying, "I just have to trust God on this." On the other hand, when you are in the security business, you also know that "securing" things is a wisdom, faith and practicality work nicely together. So...look at that house? Just how secure does it look? It is open on every side.

I ask myself, did someone look at those threats and say, "Oh this is nonsense" or "Well, we can't do anything to help you unless they make a move" (I've heard that before.) Well -- if those threats indicated the possible killing of the wife and kids, I can hardly imagine not getting them the heck out of there until the person making the threats was busted. There had to be a thousand places they could have gone for shelter and safety. Or, if not getting them out of there, battening the hatches VERY tightly and immediately. Judging from the number of people they knew and that they were known to help others, I just can't hardly believe that a few phone calls wouldn't have gotten some tight friends over and wiring that house, setting it up with every alarm system under the sun and in a day's time. So...the threats weren't taken very seriously -- I'm not sure I get that? Or maybe they were just threats that the house would be broken into and that's why things were not taken very seriously?<<

Hmmm...there were others in here looking for references (websites) where this info was found, those discussing exactly what was so-called written etc.

You must have sped read this thread (woah that is poetic) and missed some good things

W

 

[analytical]

No, I did not speed read it .. I explained myself in another post but I must admit I am feeling this is more of an issue for you than it is for me and I'm feeling a little brow-beat over a personal observation.

 

[analytical]

I have her name if anyone here wants it if its allowed message me and i will give it to you.I do not want to post it here on the board since I have only read about her name thru a poster and not LE.

Hello .. was this in the comments section of a news article? It seems that private messaging is not a function I can use.

Thanks

 

[mikeysmommom]

Hello .. was this in the comments section of a news article? It seems that private messaging is not a function I can use.

Thanks

Yes it was,I am trying to find like to which comment section it was I have read so many.I am going to daughters for Mothers Day when I get home tonight I will look for it and post it.

 

[fran]

Not that anyone asked me, but from my personal observation, it appears as if LE is actually down-playing the alleged threats against the family. IF LE was taking these alleged threats more seriously, I believe case observers would also.

From my personal observation, IMHO, LE hasn't moved from the 'inside' of the family yet. One's suspicions only go to where the 'clues' take you. As we're limited to what we've been allowed to know of the investigation, all leads, so far, except the POSSIBILITY of a stalker, go back to the spouse.

In the coming days, we may learn details which lead to the outside of the immediate family. But right now, we just don't know enough.

Like I said previously, the husband needs to be eliminated before we can begin to look outside the family. I'm not saying it's the husband, I'm just not saying it isn't.

JMHO
fran

 

[WholeLottaRosie]

A few things from this article to add to the info here:

"Sources close to the case said investigators traveled to Florida last week to interview a woman said to be a friend of Sheri Coleman's..."

"Chris Coleman, 32, who works security for televangelist Joyce Meyer in Jefferson County, has hired well-known Clayton criminal defense attorneys Arthur Margulis and his son, William."

The article discusses things dealing with the change on the funeral arrangement in Chicago... (evidently this court document is available somewhere in pdf, according to someone on one of the newspaper chat pages.)

Edit: MikesMomMom already linked to the pdf here

Edit: the following was from one of the newspaper articles, the pdf shows things a bit differently
Chris offered, then changed his mind (cost); family said they would pick up all costs -- Chris agreed; then 1PM Thurs Chris again changed his mind; Chris told family they were more than welcome to come to Chester. One of Sheri's cousins said the goal "was to allow family members and friends who could not travel to Chester to have the opportunity to pay their last respects." Also stated they don't want to fight about this.

Also...this article

>>Police are still sifting through evidence collected in the case, which involves surveillance footage and a report of prior police action at the residence due to the family's contact with an "unknown individual."<<

Hmmmm I hadn't seen anything like the above before.

W

BIG gun defense attorney in this area. Interesting choice.

 

[FifthEssence]

BIG gun defense attorney in this area. Interesting choice.

But of course... I can hear it now, " the devil made me do it," or maybe he was hearing voices.
I sincerely would like to believe he's not the perp, but information thus far continues to circle around and point to Chris.
The funeral arrangement problems brought more negative attention right back to him.

 

[Wrinkles]

Hello Analytical,

You wrote:
>>No, I did not speed read it .. I explained myself in another post but I must admit I am feeling this is more of an issue for you than it is for me and I'm feeling a little brow-beat over a personal observation. <<

I read your post as did others in here. Please don't feel brow beat, but please understand that many of us have worked together on cases over the course of many years. We do understand your emotions and feelings, as many of us have them as well.

As for this being an issue with me, well...you have to know that I have been reading this section from day one and quite respect the posters in this site (many of them and over many years, although I might not agree with any number of them or they with me). I have noted their mentions of this item about which you wrote (in post 357 this thread):

>>I am disturbed to see so much focus on the husband leaving out the critical information that he had been receiving threats in association with his job at Joyce Meyer Ministries. Joyce Meyer has received death threats herself.

It is not totally out of the realm of reasoning that Coleman's family was somehow threatened and the message scrawled on the wall seems to bear that out ... "I told you this would happen"

It appears only one poster has made mention of this crucial piece of information.<<

Additionally -- yes, I can take a little issue to your note above -- can you see why -- it felt a bit like an insult to myself and fellow posters? (I have given you proof that there was more than one mention of the threats in this thread -- there were very many in fact.) Not only have I personally made note of the threats in this thread (and thoughtfully so, so I am concerned about what you wrote), but many other of my fellow posters have -- very thoughtfully -- and they are concerned about how these so-called threats (for which we have not yet seen any legitimate proof, nor the alleged writing on the wall -- but there is reason to believe this possible) might fit into this scenario.

SuzieQ's message 363 was quite succinct and tried to help you understand the situation here, she noted "Also more than one poster has discussed what you referred to in your post." So...she was quite gentle and hoping to comfort you that we were looking at this. I was following up by reviewing this thread to make note of the many mentions about the threats i.e. "can I help you with some proofs that we ARE looking at this thing that you think is crucial?"

Now then... Let me just say that the people that hang out at this site come from all walks of life and belief systems. I happen to be what people refer to as a born again Christian and do believe in the indwelling of the holy spirit, so there is nothing more that I would want to see but that Chris had nothing to do with this. Similarly, my husband has reminded me (days ago) that we have had a JM book on our living room table for years -- a gift from my 40 year long best friend to my husband (in his book stack which someone else dusts for me . I have no bone to pick with JMM, I have not researched it, and I certainly get security threats to ministries -- I'm an old girl and my head hasn't been in the sand.

With the above being said, I cannot at all blame you for feeling a desire to protect Chris. I would like to do that too, but I have been trying to filter in/out facts for days. I am also reminded of something I can never forget from years ago, when I was called and told that one of my "brothers" (so-called, perhaps, but I don't know the depths of his heart and I do get "evil") had been molesting two beautiful young girls, the daughter's of my girlfriend, that I loved -- his step daughters, all of them members of our church. Do you think for a minute I wanted to believe that? Oh, and the call WAS directly from the family -- I knew them personally, up close and there was NO WAY that I would have suspected such a thing.

So...I, and others in this site come here with personal experience. Some of us come here far more ready to strike the target than others, some of us want to withhold judgement and just look at facts.

Where are you? What are your precise thoughts on this - balancing things. You have read the thread, you can then obviously see that there are many of us with mixed feelings and concerns. We are all affected and sickened, and MANY of us don't want to think Chris did this, but many feel like they get it straightaway -- I have been trying like crazy to find the "chink" that makes SURE that it is not him. I haven't been able to do that yet. I will agree that the "11 hours" thing (which was rumored) does not fit with something the police said in the time window (death between 5:30AM and 7AM or so).

We don't yet know the examiner's time of death, but you can bet those body temps were measured and other things that can help to learn the time of death were noted. Does this fit in with what Chris has told LE? None of us know.

Again...where are you on this aside from thinking that we may all be jumping to judgement too quickly? Please do know that this felt like an insult, and we do forgive our newbies (many of whom come here with strong emotional feelings, like we also have) ... so carry on. What is your theory, what are your facts?

W

 

[analytical]

"Chris Coleman is the son of Pastor Ron Coleman of Grace Church in Chester. Chris graduated from Chester High School in 1995 and joined the United States Marine Corps and was a K-9 handler in the military assigned to the United States Secret Service. He married his wife Sheri in August of 1997."

This is the most likely explanation of a Quantico, VA address .. Coleman's assignment with the Secret Service.

http://www.suntimesnews.com/2/news/2009/05-May/0506police.htm

Also, "Chris is the director of the private security department for Joyce Meyer Ministries. Neighbors told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Coleman&#8217;s family had been receiving threatening letters in their mailbox and those threats dealt with Coleman&#8217;s job."

(from above link)

 

[Carrington]

"There was a call from the husband asking them to check the status of them and they went to the scene and actually found the victims just prior to the husband coming home," said Major Jeff Conner, Major Case Squad.

http://www.fox2now.com

Would the police have broken into the home to check on the family? NO, I don't think so. That leaves me to belive the door must have been unlocked.
IMO

 

[analytical]

From ABC Chicago regarding Coleman's "reaction" which has been called into scrutiny..

"Neighbor Harold Rushing, 77, said Chris Coleman was visibly upset Tuesday morning, flailing his arms as two police officers restrained him by the shoulders."

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/state&id=6798129

"Police had previous contact with Sheri and Chris Coleman related to "some interaction between an unknown individual and them," said Jeff Connor, deputy commander of the major case squad of greater St. Louis. He declined to elaborate.

Neighbors in the well-kept subdivision of ranch-style homes said the Coleman family received threatening letters and their mailbox was tampered with in the past week."

also from ABC Chicago
===========
Though I can't cite the source, I've read in several stories online that Coleman called a policeman who lived in the neighborhood for a "welfare check" and that the policeman was also aware of the threatening letters.

It seems plausible that concern would arise in light of the recent events

And I've also read that it was Coleman's custom to call his wife and children in the a.m. even when he was on the road to say "hello" and to talk to the children before they left for school. This seems plausible in that he reportedly worked the overnight shift so he possibly did not get home to see the boys before they headed off to school. Finally, it has been reported it was his "habit" to work out in the early morning hours so one could assume that he left his night shift for a trip to the gym before heading home to sleep and prepare for the next night's shift.

Just thinking ... that's all.

 

[Carrington]

At first it was reported he worked the prior night. Then as "jump the gun" reporters settled down, it was confirmed he did not work that night.
IMO

 

[analytical]

At first it was reported he worked the prior night. Then as "jump the gun" reporters settled down, it was confirmed he did not work that night.
IMO

Hi .. that's why I took a cursory look at some of the Chicago reporting hoping they'd be more "precise" in reporting verified facts

Case in point is that the 77-year old neighbor was interviewed and quoted by the Chicago station - while there seems to be little reporting of actual interviewing of neighbors by the local news media

... just an observation

 

[FifthEssence]

At first it was reported he worked the prior night. Then as "jump the gun" reporters settled down, it was confirmed he did not work that night.
IMO

I found the news link in a post a few pages back confirming he didn't work that night. Also has video there of the family. Heartbreaking.

http://www.fox2now.com/ktvi-triple-murder-9p-050609,0,4426293.story
snip:
While there still is no named suspect in the killings of a mother and her two sons, police are confirming new information about the whereabouts of the man who lost his wife and children. Police now say Christopher Coleman was not working the night before his wife 31 year old Sheri, and sons 11 year old Garrett and 9 year old Gavin, were found dead inside their home.

 

[Carrington]

Hello .. was this in the comments section of a news article? It seems that private messaging is not a function I can use.

Thanks

50 posts and you're good to go, on the PM's.

 

[analytical]

Link for Chicago-Tribune obituary -

http://www.legacy.com/chicagotribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=127158872

Link for "guest book" and you'll note there are a number of photos on the first page

http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=4569972361816

 

[analytical]

50 posts and you're good to go, on the PM's.

Thanks for the info