An individual is suspected of killing his wife, as well as a man who came to check on her, and then driving away from the scene with his two children and two firearms. The husband is accused of killing both of these individuals.
A report was received by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia on Tuesday at approximately one o’clock in the afternoon regarding a guy who had been shot in front of a residence located on the 200 block of Meeks Road. At the residence, the deputies discovered a man who had been shot numerous times and had died as a result of his injuries. Eventually, it was discovered that he was William Leroy Morey, who was 68 years old, according to the sheriff’s office.
When law enforcement officers entered the residence, they discovered a woman who had died from what appeared to be a single gunshot wound. The individual was identified as Mandy Michelle Coleman, who was 22 years old. In order to “check on the well-being” of Coleman, Morey had reportedly traveled to the residence located on Meeks Road, as the investigators discovered.
In a short amount of time, the inquiry identified a suspect: Joshua Corbett Coleman, 30, who was married to Coleman; however, he was not present at the residence.
In addition, deputies “became concerned” when they discovered that it was suspected that two young children were taking up residence at the residence on Meeks Road with their mother. In addition, they were not present when police officers arrived at the scene.
In a statement, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office stated that “an immediate and coordinated effort was launched to locate the children and the suspect.” The statement also stated that four other agencies, including the Virginia State Police, were participating in the search for the youngsters.
More than two hours after the initial call for deputies, an officer “conducted a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle” and discovered Joshua Corbett Coleman “armed with a handgun and an AR-15 rifle.” This occurred at approximately 2:40 p.m., which is less than two hours after the initial call.
According to the authorities, the two children, who were approximately 10 months and 2 years old, were “inside the vehicle, safe and unharmed,” and the suspect was taken into custody “without incident.” Following that, he was taken into custody and jailed without bond in the Henry County Adult Detention Center.
According to a criminal complaint that was read, Joshua Corbett Coleman acknowledged to killing both his wife and Morey after he was apprehended. According to reports, the pair had gotten into a fight, during which he accused her of infidelity, and he allegedly said that he retrieved a gun and shot her in the head.
It is stated that the suspect then put his children in his vehicle and drove to get Morey because “he knew he was going to jail, so he wanted to kill Morey as well.” Morey was the recipient of the suspect’s murderous intent. In the event that Joshua Corbett Coleman was unable to locate Morey at the residence of the elderly man, he went back to his own residence in order to seek him there, and it is believed that he then shot and murdered him.
WDBJ was informed by Henry County Sheriff Wayne Davis that Morey did not have any familial ties to either of the Coleman men. There is a lack of clarity regarding his relationship with either the suspect or the other victim being investigated.
“This is a heartbreaking and tragic situation that has deeply affected two families and our entire community,” Davis stated in his statement. “Our hearts go out to the loved ones of the victims during this incredibly difficult time.”
“By the grace of God, I believe that our community has witnessed a miracle in the safe recovery of those children,” he continued. Therefore, we are quite happy about that.”
A neighbor is said to have dialed 911 after hearing gunshots fired and witnessing two vehicles pull up to the home located on Meeks Road. The neighbor also reported seeing the vehicles pull up to the property.
Two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony, one count of firing from an occupied vehicle, and, according to the sheriff’s office, two counts of child abuse and neglect are among the charges that have been brought against Joshua Corbett Coleman.
Today, on Tuesday morning, he is expected to make an appearance in court.
Henry County may be found in the southern region of Virginia, just on the state line with North Carolina.
