A California surfing instructor admitted taking his two young children two Mexico and killing them with a spear gun, believing himself to be “enlightened by QAnon” and “saving the world” from the victims’ “serpent DNA,” the FBI alleged in a criminal complaint on Wednesday. The details of the complaint against Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, are brutal, deranged, and, according to authorities, freely admitted by the suspect.
“On August 9, 2021, during a Mirandized interview, M. COLEMAN confessed to the murders,” the criminal complaint said.
The complaint dated Aug. 11 identifies the victims only as K.C. and R.C., but authorities note that they were his 2-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter. The chilling documents say the defendant left home with the children without explanation and warning on Aug. 7, alarming his wife A.C. but not to the point where she thought the children were in danger of harm. Still, A.C. notified authorities. The family had planned to go a camping trip.
“Instead, A.C. said that instead M. COLEMAN had left the residence in the family’s Mercedes Sprinter van with R.C.and К.С. A.C. reported that M.COLEMAN did not tell her where he was going and was not answering her text messages. In addition, A.C. was concerned because M. COLEMAN did not have a car seat,” documents said. “A.C. asked the officer to contact M. COLEMAN via telephone. A.C.further stated she did not believe that M. COLEMAN would harm her children, nor did she believe her children were in any danger. A.C. told the officer that she was not in any danger and believed M. COLEMAN would eventually return to their residence. The officer attempted to contact M. Coleman via telephone, but received no response. The officer offered to meet A.C. in person. A.C. declined and requested no further assistance.”
The children were, in fact, in grave danger, the FBI said.
Matthew Taylor Coleman was arrested after the bodies of his 3-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl, were found by a farmworker at a ranch near Rosarito in Baja California, said Hiram Sanchez, Baja California’s attorney general. https://t.co/PWxLNjZQh5
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) August 11, 2021
The mother called the Santa Barbara Police Department the next day, Aug. 8, and said neither she nor family members were able to get in touch with Matthew Coleman. A responding officer and A.C. used the “Find My iPhone” app on a laptop to track down the suspect. Documents said that the last known location was at Pabellon Rosarito in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico.
Local authorities alerted the FBI of a possible parental kidnapping. On Aug. 9, Coleman was contacted at the San Ysidro Port of Entry around 1 p.m., where the suspect was spotted attempting to reenter the United States without his children present, documents said. Border patrol officers “observed what appeared to be blood on the Mercedes Sprinter van’s registration paperwork,” documents added.
The FBI, while coordinating with Mexican authorities, learned that two children matching the description of Coleman’s kids had been found dead in a ditch at 8 a.m. on Aug. 9.
Coleman was brought in for an interview, was Mirandized, and agreed to speak with investigating agents, the FBI said. What he’s alleged to have said is shocking.
The FBI said Coleman told them that he believed his children were going to grow into monsters because they had serpent DNA passed down to them from his wife, so he killed the kids to save the world.
Specifically, Coleman allegedly said he shot his infant daughter with a spear gun in the heart and attempted to do the same to his son.
“M. Coleman stated that K.C. did not die right away. M. Coleman described that he had to move the spear around, thereby cutting his hand in the process,” documents said.
The FBI said that Coleman claimed to be “enlightened by QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories” and that the had learned through “visions and signs” that his wife “possessed serpent DNA and had passed it onto his children.”
“M. Coleman said that he was saving the world from monsters,” documents continued. “M. Coleman was asked whether he knew what he did was wrong. M. Coleman stated that he knew it was wrong, but it was the only course of action that would save the world.”
Due to the international nature of the offenses, Taylor faces charges of foreign murder of U.S. nationals.
Coleman is currently being represented by a federal public defender. He has been detained without bail. An arraignment is scheduled to take place on Aug. 31.
[Image via CBS 8 screengrab of surveillance photo released by Mexican government]
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow Law&Crime:
