Illinois Appellate Court upholds Christopher Coleman's conviction for strangling wife and sons

St. Louis Post-Dispatch/December 31, 2014

By Nicholas J.C. Pistor

Columbia, Illinois -- An Illinois appellate court released a decision Wednesday upholding the three first-degree murder convictions of Christopher Coleman, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2011 for strangling his wife and two young sons at their home here.

Coleman’s lawyers — Jim Stern, John O’Gara and William Margulis — contended that the trial was botched because Circuit Judge Milton Wharton allowed five witnesses to testify to hearsay statements about his disintegrating marriage.

They also complained about the state’s presentation of a forensic linguist, use of sexually provocative photos and videos of Coleman with mistress Tara Lintz, and testimony about the victims’ time of death.

Prosecutors said Coleman, then 32, killed his wife, Sheri, 31, and sons Garett, 11, and Gavin, 9, in 2009 to start a new life with his mistress without revealing an affair that might have cost him his job as bodyguard for televangelist Joyce Meyer.

“This was an intense, lengthy and sensational trial with many complicated and hotly contested issues,” the appellate court wrote in its decision. “The record is voluminous. The record also reflects the high quality of representation by the trial attorneys for both sides, the skill and fairness of the trial judge, the high quality of the briefs by both parties’ appellate counsel, and a consistently high level of professionalism by all. The jury upheld the best traditions of our common law jury system of justice. We commend them all.”

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.