Christopher Coleman

[SeriouslySearching]

Christopher Coleman has been charged with First Degree Murder Xs 3 in connection to the brutal slayings of his wife and 2 sons.

Who is Christopher Coleman? Please post any information we obtain about CC here for discussion.

 

[Kimster]

That's the question of the year, SS!!! I think he was a spoiled child who took a backseat to his father's ministry. I'm just GUESSING - totally MOO!!! This is just from assuming that he is a sociopath. Generally, kids who grow up to be like this have been spoiled and not held accountable for their actions. Their mistakes are not pointed out to them, but covered up instead. They instinctively feel their parents don't really love them as they don't care if they are behaving badly. His lack of caring for his wife and kids makes me believe he has zero respect for his mother and resented his children because he never had a "good" childhood of his own. He may also have been jealous of the attention Sheri was getting since she was actively involved in her own ministry - and had "found" the Lord when CC felt the ministry wasn't real.

Again, some of my thoughts on his persona. MOO and I have a right to it!

 

[Wrinkles]

Chris Coleman, age 32 (in May 2009), is presently awaiting trial facing 3 counts of first degree murder in the deaths of his beautiful young wife Sheri, and his two beautiful sons Garett and Gavin.

Son of Ron and Connie Coleman, Chester, Illinois. Eldest of 3 brothers.

Born: ?

Chris and Sheri were married: August 8, 1997

Unfortunately, Chris Coleman's face can be seen next to his wife at the following webpage.

Sheri Coleman age 31
Birth: July 3, 1977
Death: May 5, 2009

Garett Coleman age 11
Birth: Apr. 30, 1998
Death: May 5, 2009

Gavin Coleman age 9
Birth: Jan. 25, 2000
Death: May 5, 2009

Chris Coleman is suspected of the premeditated ligature murders of his family "as they slept."

 

[VCDaedalus]

I could very much agree with Chris Coleman sitting on a lot of rage and envy over the childhood his two sons have. Sheri might have been a much warmer, more loving, and perhaps a bit more indulgent parent than Connie Coleman. Someone posted at another board that they knew Chris while growing up, and that he was under continuous pressure from his dad and that as such they felt sorry for him.

I can understand such anger. I had a harassed and deprived childhood too, and I felt resentment at families and children who were coddled and cared for and indulged. I was able to bring those feelings to the surface and recognize what they were. If I had been forced to cover them up, they would have festered.

Chris may have felt envious of his own sons' childhood, and if he wasn't connected emotionally to Sheri (if he married her because she got pregnant and it was "the right thing to do," he might never have been really connected), he'd resent her connection to them. He probably felt that the family was really Sheri, Garett, and Gavin, and wasn't really about him at all. "Those three, they have each other, but I have nothing."

My own mom did everything she could to separate her children from her husband, because she couldn't accept that he might have individual loving relationships with each of them. Likewise, she pitted us against each other, because if we united in love and loyalty to each other, that threatened her primary status in the family. No connections in the family unless Mom was included and ruled the connection. She was insecure from the get-go, and constantly tried to be the sole focus of love and attention, even if that meant running her family like a social club with her in charge of the rules.

The result was that she destroyed any true loving relationship with her children, and her children have no loving relationships with each other because we were constantly betrayed by each other in service to Mom. I'll do my duty to her because it's my duty, but she burned away any sympathy or love long ago.

 

[VCDaedalus]

Counting back from the birth dates it would appear that Garett is a Fourth of July baby and Gavin a Valentine's Day baby. And Garett was born before Coleman got out of the military. He may have resented Garett right off, might have entered into the marriage with a simmering resentment (she made me get married, I didn't want to), and then was faced with the reality that he couldn't just divorce Sheri and abandon the family. That wasn't going to be one of his options.

There was a lot of rage in the murders, and tracking it down is the only path to some sort of understanding.

 

[Kimster]

VCD, thank you for your heartfelt and personal posts. It always intrigues me into wonder as to why most people with an unnurtured childhood don't resort to criminal behavior. Then again, many do in the world of illegal drug usage, alcoholism, etc. Perhaps you are a miracle

If I remember, there were rumors floating around that Sheri was pg when they were married, but it was researched in earlier threads and found not to be true. Unless she was pg with another child that didn't live to term.

 

[kiki the parrot]

VCD those are keen insights you've shared about the probable envy, entitlement and other narcissistic tendencies which might lead a man to annhilate his entire family...

As for my own astute observations, I'm not quite there yet. For the first time I can recall, I'm fresh out of analytical insights. This coward makes me sick to even look at him. (Hmm maybe oughtn't to really post this beacon of pertinent facts, this highly relevant and informative post...... nah, hitting submit...)

arrot:

 

[Wrinkles]

Hello VCD, Kiki birdie, Kimster, SeriouslyS and ALL...

About CC... I bumped into something last night (early this AM) on the web. Mind you, it was about 1 or 2 AM and I was running on empty, so just had time to grab the links (i.e. must go back and read later).

This was the Psychology Today website. I don't know if it is a well respected website, and don't know anything about the Dr. writing the article.

Law and Crime
Evil Deeds
"A Forensic Psychologist on Anger, Madness and Destructive Behavior"
by Dr. Stephen Diamond

Chris Coleman is mentioned in Part 2 and 3 -- thought it would be interesting to some of you. I haven't determined how I feel about the articles yet, not having read them, but thought some of you might be interested to figure out how you feel about them.

The doctor's Part 1 begins with:
>>When conducting forensic criminal evaluations, it is crucial to consider the broad context of symptoms and behavior over the course of time in each case. This is essential diagnostic information, and central to detecting the presence of latent character disorders, such as antisocial, narcissistic or borderline personality. <<

Part 2 begins with:
>>In Illinois this month, a thirty-two-year-old mother and her two young sons were strangled to death by ligature in their own beds as they slept. On a bedroom wall were scrawled angry epithets, one reported to say "I told you this would happen." Police have now arrested the husband and father, Christopher Coleman, an apparently high-functioning, former Marine military police officer and minister's son, who publicly gives the impression of being clean-cut, calm and collected.<<

Much more in Part 2 and 3...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Well all ya'll -- I'm heading toward our experiment. Have the movie projector screen up in the bedroom, and will project the laptop onto the screen so that I can read these articles from the waterbed, while drifting off Also, I will read WS on the screen

Now then... Maybe some of you will have some comments about this article that I can read tonight on the big screen

 

[Kimster]

Hello VCD, Kiki birdie, Kimster, SeriouslyS and ALL...

About CC... I bumped into something last night (early this AM) on the web. Mind you, it was about 1 or 2 AM and I was running on empty, so just had time to grab the links (i.e. must go back and read later).

This was the Psychology Today website. I don't know if it is a well respected website, and don't know anything about the Dr. writing the article.

Law and Crime
Evil Deeds
"A Forensic Psychologist on Anger, Madness and Destructive Behavior"
by Dr. Stephen Diamond

Chris Coleman is mentioned in Part 2 and 3 -- thought it would be interesting to some of you. I haven't determined how I feel about the articles yet, not having read them, but thought some of you might be interested to figure out how you feel about them.

The doctor's Part 1 begins with:
>>When conducting forensic criminal evaluations, it is crucial to consider the broad context of symptoms and behavior over the course of time in each case. This is essential diagnostic information, and central to detecting the presence of latent character disorders, such as antisocial, narcissistic or borderline personality. <<

Part 2 begins with:
>>In Illinois this month, a thirty-two-year-old mother and her two young sons were strangled to death by ligature in their own beds as they slept. On a bedroom wall were scrawled angry epithets, one reported to say "I told you this would happen." Police have now arrested the husband and father, Christopher Coleman, an apparently high-functioning, former Marine military police officer and minister's son, who publicly gives the impression of being clean-cut, calm and collected.<<

Much more in Part 2 and 3...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Well all ya'll -- I'm heading toward our experiment. Have the movie projector screen up in the bedroom, and will project the laptop onto the screen so that I can read these articles from the waterbed, while drifting off Also, I will read WS on the screen

Now then... Maybe some of you will have some comments about this article that I can read tonight on the big screen

Thank you, Wrinkles! That's a pretty fancy set-up you have over there!

I think the most interesting part of the article is that they feel these crimes are on the rise. I've been feeling that way, but this statement confirms it for me!

 

[VCDaedalus]

Thank you, kiki and Kimster. I'm no miracle! The reason I think I understand a little of Chris Coleman is because I've felt like nothing mattered but acting on the rage. I don't understand the premeditation and planning. In the absence of SSRI use starting in, say, September of 2008, I don't know how he kept the hate and rage simmering just enough to make plans, act the devoted husband and father, and be a secret lover all at the same time. He just doesn't seem clever enough, based on the incredible bungle he made of the crime.

 

[Curious Me]

I just read the same articles by Dr. Stephen Diamond on the Psychology Today website by Dr.Stephen Diamond. Here is a quote from conclusion of Part 3:

"It is a true paradox. When daimonic impulses, feelings or fantasies are dissociated from consciousness due to their incompatibility with rigid religious principles, when we try to be too good, too spiritual, we unwittingly make ourselves more susceptible to the dark, destructive side of the daimonic, or what theologians traditionally refer to as the demonic. From a psychological perspective, the demonic is not supernatural, metaphysical or satanic. The demonic is rather what happens to the daimonic when it is consistently mismanaged, denied, dissociated, repressed and excommunicated from consciousness. In the unconscious, it turns negative, disintegrative, even violent, accruing the power to temporarily possess or usurp the whole personality. Much like the depraved Mr. Hyde possesses Dr. Jekyll. Could this have been Chris Coleman's state of mind at the time of allegedly committing these heinous crimes? And, if so, did that dissociative state render him unable to distinguish between good and evil or to understand the nature and quality of his actions? And, therefore, not legally responsible for his actions? These are questions his defense team will possibly be further exploring."

The question seems to be if someone is able to be in such a dissociative state should we as a society cut them some slack? Can we put Humpty Dumpty back together again fit for society? I definitely understood that Andrea Yates was suffering from something beyond her control at that time. I cannot see Chris Coleman suffering before or after the crimes. IMO, Chris was so high on himself (and the new Tara love) and his selfish plans to get rid of his current family but keep all his riches. Hope his defense realizes a jury won't likely feel sorry for Chris.

 

[Kimster]

I just read the same articles by Dr. Stephen Diamond on the Psychology Today website by Dr.Stephen Diamond. Here is a quote from conclusion of Part 3:

"It is a true paradox. When daimonic impulses, feelings or fantasies are dissociated from consciousness due to their incompatibility with rigid religious principles, when we try to be too good, too spiritual, we unwittingly make ourselves more susceptible to the dark, destructive side of the daimonic, or what theologians traditionally refer to as the demonic. From a psychological perspective, the demonic is not supernatural, metaphysical or satanic. The demonic is rather what happens to the daimonic when it is consistently mismanaged, denied, dissociated, repressed and excommunicated from consciousness. In the unconscious, it turns negative, disintegrative, even violent, accruing the power to temporarily possess or usurp the whole personality. Much like the depraved Mr. Hyde possesses Dr. Jekyll. Could this have been Chris Coleman's state of mind at the time of allegedly committing these heinous crimes? And, if so, did that dissociative state render him unable to distinguish between good and evil or to understand the nature and quality of his actions? And, therefore, not legally responsible for his actions? These are questions his defense team will possibly be further exploring."

The question seems to be if someone is able to be in such a dissociative state should we as a society cut them some slack? Can we put Humpty Dumpty back together again fit for society? I definitely understood that Andrea Yates was suffering from something beyond her control at that time. I cannot see Chris Coleman suffering before or after the crimes. IMO, Chris was so high on himself (and the new Tara love) and his selfish plans to get rid of his current family but keep all his riches. Hope his defense realizes a jury won't likely feel sorry for Chris.

We cannot cut them slack unless we all want to run around wearing defensive gear to protect ourselves. Law does not only hold the guilty accountable for their actions, it also sends a message to other would-be criminals to STOP. One deterrant to keep from people allowing their "diamonic" selves to take over is the threat of the consequences.

BTW, I think a lot of what the article says in this section is a bunch of hooey - unless CC's church upbringing was extremely cultish!

 

[Curious Me]

IMO, we may need to speed up our legal system to deter crimes and further the message. The whole process is just so slow. If Chris did, for instance, get the death penalty, he wouldn't even actually be put to death for years and years. It waters down the message quite a bit, IMO.

Here's another good read discussing Chris Coleman:
http://www.examiner.com/x-7403-Tamp...rted-killer-or-candidate-for-insanity-defense

 

[everyoneneedsavoice]

From this article&#8230;http://www.bnd.com/news/local/story/860532.html (in the news thread)

Whoa&#8230;so he went from 72 to 100k in December 2007
Also of interest&#8230;his last direct deposit was less a $10,000 pay advance that was given on May 6, 2009!
This confirms a lot for me!

 

[Wrinkles]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.... In the article:

>>In February, Christopher Coleman's salary rose from $72,000 a year to $100,000 a year. The increase was backdated to Dec. 14, 2007. It also noted that Christopher Coleman traveled 170 days a year.<<

Well now wait a minute...what is with the backdate of the salary increase?

Was Coleman given a big chunk of backdated wage in February? If so, where is the money?

Why would you backdate the increase unless he was intending to put that wage on an application elsewhere? I don't get it.

, YOU THERE? WHY THE BACKDATE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

 

[Wrinkles]

If his salary was backdated to Dec. 14, 2007, and he received the increase in Feb 2009, then it seems that there would be a chunk of about $28K owed from Dec. 14, 2007 to Dec. 14, 2008, and then several months at $2333 extra owed (Jan and Feb). So depending upon when in Feb he got the raise, the chunk could have been 30333 or 32666, give or take some taxes or other things that may or may not have been taken out.

Either way, I am confused about the backdating of a salary.

 

[who knew?]

If his salary was backdated to Dec. 14, 2007, and he received the increase in Feb 2009, then it seems that there would be a chunk of about $28K owed from Dec. 14, 2007 to Dec. 14, 2008, and then several months at $2333 extra owed (Jan and Feb). So depending upon when in Feb he got the raise, the chunk could have been 30333 or 32666, give or take some taxes or other things that may or may not have been taken out.

Either way, I am confused about the backdating of a salary.

In addition to the money from the refi of the house............. wonder if anyone knows what he did with that money?

 

[Lindadanette]

If his salary was backdated to Dec. 14, 2007, and he received the increase in Feb 2009, then it seems that there would be a chunk of about $28K owed from Dec. 14, 2007 to Dec. 14, 2008, and then several months at $2333 extra owed (Jan and Feb). So depending upon when in Feb he got the raise, the chunk could have been 30333 or 32666, give or take some taxes or other things that may or may not have been taken out.

Either way, I am confused about the backdating of a salary.

I've had my salary backdated several times - in effect it means exactly what you supposed - the difference in increase is tallied from the backdate and paid in one lump sum. And that's in addition to a 25,000 per year raise? And JMM gave him an "advance" of 10,000 more AFTER he murdered his wife and kids?

I STILL think that CC was blackmailing/extorting JMM in some fashion that cannot be revealed without hurting JMM.

 

[Wrinkles]

Hi LindaDanette,

When you had a salary backdated, what was the purpose? (rhetorical, not trying to pry into your personal business, but I don't understand why this might happen.) I'm not sure I understand this unless someone had a reason, in their original contract or there is some type of employee policy that a request for a salary increase can be made on X date, and then it has to go through some internal process, and then if the increase is agreed upon they backdate the increase to the date it was requested.

As far as I see this, the backdated salary would mean that instead of getting 72K for the one year, he would get 100K, which means he is owed a chunk of change. Then they carry on from there once the backdated salary is caught up, i.e. he gets his regular pay, with the increase.

As for the 10K requested as an advance, I see that as him having spent the money he got earlier and having very little to pay for a) the funerals or b) the defense attorney.

I guess I just don't see blackmail or extortion, just a guy who didn't know how to save money -- he had an expensive "sideline" (another woman.)

Edited: on the other hand, my guess is he knew he would be busted and figured he would squeeze some more dollars out of his job before he was arrested. In that sense, I think he used heart strings to jerk more money out of someone. They ought to take the 10K advance out of his pension or whatever to reimburse themselves.

 

[yosande]

I just read the same articles by Dr. Stephen Diamond on the Psychology Today website by Dr.Stephen Diamond. Here is a quote from conclusion of Part 3:

"It is a true paradox. When daimonic impulses, feelings or fantasies are dissociated from consciousness due to their incompatibility with rigid religious principles, when we try to be too good, too spiritual, we unwittingly make ourselves more susceptible to the dark, destructive side of the daimonic, or what theologians traditionally refer to as the demonic. From a psychological perspective, the demonic is not supernatural, metaphysical or satanic. The demonic is rather what happens to the daimonic when it is consistently mismanaged, denied, dissociated, repressed and excommunicated from consciousness. In the unconscious, it turns negative, disintegrative, even violent, accruing the power to temporarily possess or usurp the whole personality. Much like the depraved Mr. Hyde possesses Dr. Jekyll. Could this have been Chris Coleman's state of mind at the time of allegedly committing these heinous crimes? And, if so, did that dissociative state render him unable to distinguish between good and evil or to understand the nature and quality of his actions? And, therefore, not legally responsible for his actions? These are questions his defense team will possibly be further exploring."

The question seems to be if someone is able to be in such a dissociative state should we as a society cut them some slack? Can we put Humpty Dumpty back together again fit for society? I definitely understood that Andrea Yates was suffering from something beyond her control at that time. I cannot see Chris Coleman suffering before or after the crimes. IMO, Chris was so high on himself (and the new Tara love) and his selfish plans to get rid of his current family but keep all his riches. Hope his defense realizes a jury won't likely feel sorry for Chris.

Well, I have to admit, I did some eye rolling while reading the first paragraph. I thought it nothing but gobbily goop. But he finally got the point. CC is a selfish, greedy, arrogant man. moo