Serialously with Annie Elise

Episode 318: The Most Twisted Family You’ll Ever Hear Of | The Coleman Case

Date: September 15, 2025
Host: Annie Elise

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode of Serialously, Annie Elise delivers an in-depth, no-holds-barred exploration of the infamous Coleman family murders—a case she calls “diabolical and disgusting” with a cast of enablers that leaves listeners asking, “What is wrong with these people?” Annie walks through the personal dynamics of Chris and Sherry Coleman, the shocking murders of Sherry and their two sons, and the web of dysfunction and denial that surrounded the killer. With her trademark mix of detail, empathy for victims, and exasperation with everyone else, Annie shatters any lingering myths and exposes the red flags, timelines, and overlooked details behind this chilling story.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: The Coleman Family and “Picture Perfect” Life

• Setting the Scene (03:40)

  • 2009: Sherry Coleman (31), her husband Chris (32—ex-military, bodyguard for televangelist Joyce Meyer), and their sons Garrett (11) and Gavin (9), living a suburban St. Louis life, “picture perfect on paper.”
  • Sherry: “Total go-getter... fire inside of her.” The boys: sports, church, always together.
  • Chris: Raised by two pastors, disciplined, “so clean cut... didn’t even curse,” yet deeply insecure and emotionally repressed.

• Red Flags from the Start (06:40)

  • Chris's sensitivity framed as weakness by both family and peers.

    “He treated feeling anything like it was a personal failure.” (Annie Elise, 09:36)

  • Meeting Sherry: Opposites attract; she is adventurous and open, he is closed off and uncomfortable with affection.

  • Early marriage: Chris’s parents are openly hostile to Sherry, accusing her of “trapping” their son and calling her “just a little blonde thing, nothing much to look at.”

    “God, she once even straight up told Chris that Sherry wasn’t smart, that she wasn’t interesting, and that he could do way better.” (Annie Elise, 17:10)

2. Chris's Life & Career: Cracks in the Facade

• Chris’s Job as Joyce Meyer’s Bodyguard (20:35)
  • Lands well-paid security role thanks to parental connections.
  • Begins to resent his family obligations and the “fake” protection gig, while feeling pressure financially and emotionally at home.
  • Marriage deteriorates: Chris blames Sherry for the loss of his supposed “destiny” and is hostile about money and affection.

3. The Threats & Staged Storyline

• The Emergence of Anonymous Threats (22:00)
  • Joyce Meyer starts receiving menacing emails, supposedly from a stranger targeting her and (oddly) threatening Chris’s family.
  • Emails come from “destroychrismail.com,” referencing specific dates and places, sent to both Chris and Joyce but written as if Chris should forward them (odd).
  • Police and Annie flag the “off” nature:

    “If this person hated Joyce, why would they threaten Chris’s family? It just wasn’t making sense.” (Annie Elise, 24:50)

4. May 5, 2009: The Murders & Crime Scene

• Timeline (27:55 → 32:45)
  • Chris leaves for the gym at 5:45am, later texts Sherry (“wake up & check on the boys”), gets no reply.
  • Calls neighbor Justin (a police officer), who discovers a window open, screen removed, and horrific scene inside:
    • Spray-painted threats (“I am always watching,” “Fuck you bitch punished,” “You have paid”) in red on the walls.
    • The family murdered in their beds, covered with blankets. Sherry is found assaulted and strangled, with DNA under her nails suggesting she fought back.

5. Police Investigation & Chris’s Interrogation

• Inconsistencies in Chris’s Story

  • Chris’s reaction to the news is described as flat—no grief, just “shrugging,” and he avoids explaining fresh scratches on his arms.

    “Chris barely reacted. No screaming, no sobbing, no shock, nothing like what you’d expect from somebody who just lost their entire family.” (Annie Elise, 38:05)

  • Security footage disproves any break-in; police forcefully challenge Chris’s shifting statements about when Sherry was last alive.

    Detective: “She was not alive when you left. The children weren’t alive when we left this.” (50:04)

• The Phone Evidence (29:25 → 31:10)

  • Chris voluntarily hands over his phone, believing it will clear his name; instead, police discover:
    • The morning texts to Sherry were unprecedented—never before sent.
    • A digital record of financial fights, plans with his mistress, and photos/video evidence of the affair.
    • Annie:

      “Chris is not a smart man—like, at all... Please enjoy this evidence that completely unravels my alibi, completely catches me in a lie.” (29:25)

6. The Affair, Family Dynamics, and Enablers

• The Other Woman: Tara Lynz (35:45)

  • Sherry’s former best friend, now Chris’s mistress.
  • Their affair is serious—trips, plans for marriage and children, shared “promise rings.”
  • Tara is surprisingly open with police, confirms Chris’s dissatisfaction at home, and fully throws him under the bus.

• Hypocrisy of Chris’s Parents (41:05)

  • Once shamed Sherry for “sinning”; now openly support Chris’s affair and even communicate with Tara after the murders.
  • Annie:

    “The very day Sherry, Gavin, and Garrett were killed, Chris’s dad, Ron, was text messaging with Tara, the mistress... How messed up is that?” (55:24)

• Sherry’s Plight

  • She worked to save the marriage, endured abuse, suspected the affair (but never knew who). Had told friends:

    “If anything ever happens to me or the kids, it was Chris.” (37:55)

7. The (Fake) Stalker & Chris’s Sloppy Deceptions

• Tech Evidence:

  • All threatening emails traced to Chris’s laptop (and can of spray paint from the scene bought by Chris).
  • Spelling errors (“opportunity” misspelled) matched Chris’s own communications and graffiti at the scene.

• Police Break the Case (62:29)

  • “With the fake threats, the timeline lies, the affair, the text messages, the DNA, the receipts, the spray paint, I mean, everything. It didn’t take long. Chris Coleman was arrested and he was charged with three counts of first degree murder.” (Annie Elise, 61:22)

8. Legal Proceedings, Aftermath & Family Fallout

• Trial & Verdict (65:39 → 71:33)
  • Chris convicted on all charges; sentenced to life with no parole.
  • Chris's parents continue to defend him, blame Sherry, champion conspiracy theories.
  • Ron Coleman (Chris’s father):

    “If Chris ever did confess, he would be forgiven by me and we would move on. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” (71:10)

  • Sherry’s family files civil suits (Joyce Meyer named but dismissed); funds donated in memory of Sherry and her sons reportedly embezzled by her own brother.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Annie on Sherry’s character:

  “She brought this, like, energy, this warmth, this life into his very... sterile, buttoned up type of world.” (13:30)

• On the spray-painted threats:

  “Spray painted in apple red. Almost as though maybe it was supposed to look like blood.” (33:20)

• On Chris’s idiocy:

  “Chris is not a smart man—like, at all... Please enjoy this evidence that completely unravels my alibi.” (29:25)

• On family denial:

  “His parents, Connie and Ron... blamed Sherry. According to them, she was such a terrible wife that Chris had to cheat. He had no other option...” (69:15)

• Detective confronting Chris:

  Detective: “She wasn’t alive when you left.”
  Chris: “She was alive. She was. She was laying right beside me.” (50:00)

• Investigator’s summary:

  “There was one other face in this trial that a lot of people saw... When I looked at Christopher Coleman, that was the face of evil.” (71:08)

• Annie’s recurring outrage:

  “Is there anyone in this case that doesn’t suck besides Sherry and the kids? It is just awful.” (73:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Background and Red Flags: 03:40–19:00
• Threats and Emails: 22:00–27:55
• Crime Discovery & Scene: 27:55–32:45
• Chris's Interrogation: 38:05–50:04
• Affair Revealed (Tara’s Interview): 53:44–55:24
• E-mails and Spray Paint Evidence: 58:30–62:29
• Arrest and Police Statement: 62:29–65:29
• Trial, Family Reactions & Aftermath: 65:39–73:10

Conclusion: Annie’s Takeaways

Annie closes with characteristic bluntness and empathy for the victims—Sherry, Garrett, and Gavin—while blasting almost every other adult involved in the case for their enabling, denial, or outright criminality. Her final lesson:

“Just get a divorce... It’s better than murder. It’s better than spending the rest of your life in prison. Just, just get a freaking divorce.” (73:10)

For listeners:
This episode is a master class in understanding not just crime, but the winding, often infuriating social systems that enable it. Annie’s mix of empathy, righteous anger, and humor keeps the episode immersive, and every jaw-dropping detail is contextualized for maximum impact.