A judge extended a court order Thursday protecting the assets of murder victim Sheri Coleman, which consist primarily of the Columbia home where she and her two sons were found strangled, allowing time for attorneys to work out a final settlement.
The main asset listed so far, according to courts documents, is the home at 2854 Robert Drive, where Coleman, 31, and her sons Gavin, 9 and Garett, 11, were found strangled May 5. Their father and Sheri's Coleman's husband, Christopher Coleman, 32, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in their deaths.
St. Clair County Circuit Judge Michael O'Malley reset a hearing in the matter from today to June 15.
"The temporary restraining order has been extended by court order. We're hoping that in the interim period of time, we can agree on a permanent injunction," said Belleville attorney Jack Carey, who represents the family of Sheri Coleman in a civil lawsuit filed late last month seeking to protect the assets.
St. Louis attorney William Margulis, who represents Christopher Coleman in the criminal case and the lawsuit, said the extension will allow time, "to see if we can work out some sort of agreement on a permanent injunction. We're not there yet."
Carey said he expects to receive information through the discovery process that could point to further assets, such as bank accounts or other property. The complaint states that this information could come from Christopher Coleman's former employer, Joyce Meyer Ministries in St. Louis, where he worked as a supervisor of security.
Meyer and Christopher Coleman's father, the Rev. Ronald Coleman of Chester, who heads Grace Church Ministries in that community, were named as "respondents in discovery." The lawsuit names only one defendant, Christopher Coleman.
Carey said he recently heard from Joyce Meyer Ministries that the televangelist's organization "will fully comply."
"He assured me that Joyce Meyer Ministries will cooperate fully," Carey said.
Ronald Coleman could not be reached.
Christopher Coleman faces a preliminary hearing Wednesday, during which much of the evidence against him could be laid out in open court. According to information from search warrants made public through legal intervention by the News-Democrat, Coleman is linked to the crime through a noose made from orange, hay-baling twine similar to twine found at the home that had been used to hold straw. The noose was found by members of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis during a search along Interstate 255.
The search warrant information also showed that Christopher Coleman was involved in an extramarital affair with Tara Lintz, of St. Petersburg, Fla., who was described as a good friend of Sheri Coleman and the Coleman family. The affair began in November, the search warrants stated.
The documents also stated that on May 4, Christopher Coleman spoke long distance with Lintz several hours before the bodies of his family were found. An autopsy has determined that all three victims died from ligature strangulation.
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