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Chris Coleman arrested and charged in strangling deaths of wife and two sons

May 20, 3:22 PMCrime ExaminerCindy Adams
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Chris Coleman was arrested Tuesday night and charged with the first-degree murder of his wife and two sons. (AP)

On Wednesday, Chris Coleman, 32, pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife, Sheri Coleman, 31, and their two children, Garrett, 11, and Gavin, 9.

His attorney, William Margulis said, “My client, Mr. Coleman, maintains his innocence and we’ll play this out.”

The Illinois man is accused of strangling all three, whose bodies were found in the Coleman home on May 5.  Authorities said a cord was used to commit the crimes.

On the morning the bodies were found, Coleman had called police from a local gym saying he had telephoned the house and no one answered.  He asked a Columbia police officer who had investigated prior threats related to the family to go to the house and check on the family’s well being. 

According to the Associated Press, authorities have declined to discuss the alleged threats, but some in the neighborhood claim the Coleman’s mailbox had been tampered with and the family had received threatening letters.

Upon arrival at the home, officers discovered the bodies.  Coleman arrived shortly thereafter and appeared to be upset.

On Tuesday, Coleman was arrested at his parent’s home.  Jeff Connor of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis said, “We’ve done all we could to solve this as quickly as we could but as efficiently as we could.”

Coleman was employed as security for the Joyce Meyer Ministries, but resigned last week after an internal inquiry found that he had not followed a ministry policy. 

Last week police questioned a Largo, Fla. woman with whom Coleman was allegedly having an affair.  The woman at issue was a friend of Coleman’s late wife.

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