BELLEVILLE, IL (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
A wrongful death lawsuit will be filed Tuesday in a Monroe County court, against Christopher Coleman. His deceased wife's family is suing for access to the Coleman home in Columbia, and to any assets Sheri owned. Sheri and her two sons, Garett and Gavin, were found strangled in their Columbia, Illinois home May 5th. Chris Coleman is charged on three counts of first degree murder."Christopher Coleman controls all the assets of this family," says Belleville attorney Jack Carey. "And he happens to be charged with three counts of murder."
Carey will file the suit Tuesday morning, with his co-counsel, Enrico Mirabelli, who is an attorney from Chicago. Mirabelli is also Sheri Coleman's cousin.
Carey says the suit is a two part complaint. "One is that he did it," says Carey. "Of course he has expressed a not guilty plea."
"I have filed a second count alleging negligence. That is, if these threats were real, he was negligent in that he failed to protect his wife and his two children."
Christopher Coleman filed police reports months ago claiming someone was threatening his family. The case being built against him seems to allege those threats were a front. Coleman is charged with murdering his family inside their home. Sheri, Gavin, and Garret were found strangled May 5.
Carey says Sheri Coleman's family does not know what is rightfully Sheri's. Her mother is left with only memories and grief.
"The only thing that Angela [Sheri's mother] has she's gotten off the internet or the newspapers," says Carey. "No mementos, nothing from this tragedy."
Six days after the murders and about a week before charges were filed, Christopher Coleman's family spent two hours inside the home in Columbia, hauling away a trailer full of belongings. But Sheri Coleman's family has not yet been inside.
They have no legal right to enter because Sheri's name was taken off the deed in October. Carey is asking a judge to grant a temporary restraining order on that deed. If the judge grants access, Carey says Sheri's family, some of whom are in town, will go inside the home as soon as possible to look around and take an inventory of what is there. One of the first things they will search for is Sheri's signature on something, to see if it matches the paperwork which removed her from the deed.
The lawsuit requires Christopher Coleman to reveal what is rightfully Sheri's. Carey says her family does not know. And while they do not want her money, they want it protected.
"Money is not it," says Carey. "We want to make sure whoever did this does not get one thin dime out of this tragedy."
"They do not want anyone to profit from the deaths of these two young boys and Sheri."
