One Last Kiss: The True Story of a Minister's Bodyguard, His Beautiful Mistress, and a Brutal Triple Homicide

by Michael W. Cuneo

Ex-Marine and bodyguard Chris Coleman was a family man with a secret: He wanted to leave his wife and children for his mistress. Unfortunately, the ministry he worked for had a no-divorce policy. So he made other plans.

On May 5, 2009, Illinois police received a call from Coleman, who claimed he was unable to contact his family. When police investigated, they found Coleman’s wife and two sons strangled in bed. Across the walls, spraypainted in red, were various obscenities—the word punished among them. 

Did this respected church man murder his family to be with his lover? Or was something—or someone—else more sinister afoot? Police would eventually uncover two threatening letters sent to the Coleman home, and key testimony from Chris’s mistress only complicated the criminal evidence. Coleman’s trial raged on—along with a statewide debate over the death penalty—and questions about his role in the murders remained unanswered. His fate still hangs in the balance…

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 22, 2012

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gruesome true story of a cheating husband, Chris Coleman, who killed his wife and two young sons after his girlfriend gave him a deadline for divorcing his wife.

His job that the girlfriend liked so much, wouldn't allow him to divorce without being fired, but he wouldn't admit it to her, so he tried to pull off the perfect murder.

[K.A. Krisko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of details. Almost too many in certain areas - in the first part of the book, we're treated to a complete family history of each person who's introduced. In all but a few cases, these histories serve no further purpose in the book and thus could probably have been eliminated or shortened. On the other hand, the amount of detail the author uncovered is pretty astounding and adds a lot of authenticity. There's no real doubt about the conclusion; there are too many facts presented. The author manages to keep his own opinion out of it until the last, where he reviews what he uncovered and briefly points out the inescapable. Really good, and I'll read more by this author.

[Maya Hollinshead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in May, I was watching 48 Hours and saw this case. I promised myself if there was a book on it, I would read it. I found out the next day that the book was scheduled to be released in July. This case was so sad on so many levels. This was a very good true crime book. Lots of details about the victims and the accused, and not to bogged down on trial coverage. I hope the family of Sherri, Gavin and Garett find some peace.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this copy (Thanks Shauney xx) Another wish list book. yay

Finished this morning. What a great read this was. Very well written and exiting. At one point I did start to think the author was quite biased towards Chris his family but reading further plus finding more info on the internet I learned there was ample reason to be so. What horrible people.

These people are supposedly christians. Well to me THEY are bad. Lower of the low. So selfish and so controlling. I know there are tons of real christians. People that really care and try to be good (not just to be liked or admired by others)

I want to try more books by this author.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good and informative book. Couple of times the author had what I believe were incorrect dates. He made a couple of references to Chris Coleman and Tara Lintz first connecting in November of 2009 when I believe it was November of 2008. Always wonder, does no one proof read these?

[Madeline Dahlman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't really read any of the mass-market type true crime books so I picked this up to see what the deal was..and it pretty much was everything I thought it would be. Very quick and kinda like reading an episode of 20/20. I'd probably read more of these if left to my own devices and wanting just a salacious story. The writing is journalistic but it fits the type of book and the story itself. I don't know if I can justify reviewing the story/book like I normally would because this isn't meant to be in contention for the National Book Award...If you're the person, or know the type of person, who spends their brainless couch time watching all of the 20/20 crime stories, you'll probably enjoy this.

[Melanie Chabrol- · Rating 5 out of 5]

give it a 10/5.... a book i could not put down..... the front cover the back cover sold me...
welll written,
HIS WIFE AND TWO SONS WERE FOUND DEAD. AND HE WAS FOUD GUILTY OF MURDER- IN COLD BLOOD. I hope to find his other book A NEED TO KILL. to see if it is anything like this one.

[Jeannie Tillery · Rating 5 out of 5]

True story of a Pentecostal bodyguard for Joyce Meyer Ministries who killed his wife and two young sons in the most brutal way, by strangulation ...just so he could be with a woman in Florida who he'd been having an affair with.

[Jen Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down, I needed to know if Sheri and the boys got justice.
Book was very detailed, a few times I was left thinking How did the author know this? and why do I need to?

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, learned some things I didn't know before. Worth reading of you followed the case.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was an easy read. I highly recommend it to anyone who followed the case.

[Kenyon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author describes women only in terms of their physical attractiveness. It got really annoying after about 20 pages.

[Shell Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another True Crime book on a husband who just up and kills his wife and kids...with no history of such psycho behaviour in his past. Ho-hum. That's the way the bee bumbles in true crime. This is indeed an interesting book, but it has a "diet" feel to it. No beef. No cake. Something is missing but you're suppose to buy it 100% anyway. I don't. Too many questions!

It is written well enough but it's missing something and you can feel it even if you're all in and believe Chris Coleman is the sadistic, real killer. I laughed when I saw a review of this book state the title made no sense because Chris didn't kiss his wife Sheri before "he" killed her...but the more I think of it, that person was right and it wasn't such a corny statement...what IS up with the title? It doesn't fit. It is a J. Geils Band song though (and a good one!).

The problem here is that even if Chris ain't the killer...he was such a raging asshole, it is hard to have sympathy for him. He is even worse in temperament than the mass perception of Drew Peterson. Ridgy. Didge. Even so, the questions remain...why didn't Chris have red spray paint all over him? Why would he call his neighbour cop to check on family that fateful morning (I mean, that is such a STOOPID maneuver and didn't help him AT ALL!!), why was he so willing to talk to the cops that fateful day...why didn't he demand a lawyer, STAT if he planned it all out for 6 months? Why didn't he erase all incriminating stuff on his blackberry (this was in 2009...)? And as always, why did he kill his family with such psychotic overkill? That is an important question many fail to cogitate on...it really matters! People just don't go full-tilt psycho on their families for no reason but so many believe it is possible.

I must admit, his personality didn't help out that much either...it was hard to see how ANYONE could have been into such an asshole. His family was just as weird, too. Holy rollers who didn't act as holy as they should have...but they didn't bother to hide their indifference & shallow character that much, so it's on the dope who *wants* to be fooled by them. Most wouldn't be fooled when it's so easy to see the asshole shining through.

The motive is very dumb here, too. Chris was such a jerk, you couldn't see him and his paramour Tara Lintz (an equally shitty kitty!) sustaining their infatuation with each other. They went overboard because it's easy to indulge in fantasy when you idealize in the beginning of a "romance", are far away and don't have to slog thru' everyday ennui with the object of your obsession. When able to be together in a regular vein, the novelty of rose coloured glasses fades faster than cheap bubble gum flavour. Embarrassingly so. The motive is foolish because it just wasn't built for speed.

Also similar was the uber assuredness of the cops. They focused in on the hubby like a laser beam and didn't care to look at anyone else. They were so sure it was Chris because of the body temps of the dead...I am not so sure...Chris was not getting on with is wife Sheri so well and slept downstairs most of the time...if he did that evo, SOMEONE could have snuck in and killed the 3 family members and Chris heads off to the gym after 5:30 AM none the wiser that an intruder DID get in the house and could have slaughtered Sheri, Garett & Gavin earlier than thought.

The book mentions SOMEONE being caught on the security system (masked!) putting one of the threatening, typewritten letters in the Coleman mailbox...but THAT isn't expounded on. Who was it? Why was this seen & yet NOT investigated more? Sorry, Chris was an asshole, but I just don't think he was the killer. Who was the masked man? Why didn't they blame Chris for that?

Here is an alternative theory and boy does it have meat AND potatoes. I fact-checked it. Most are too lazy to. That is how lack of curiosity makes a somnambulant of the cat on the band wangon. All aboard!!!

http://coldcasecameron.com/wp-content...

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey Sarian didn't cover this case, so I had to read about it myself. It piqued my interest for many reasons, mainly because I wonder what goes through the mind of a man who kills his own wife and two young children. Money and having a mistress seem like vague answers. I didn't get a complete answer because Chris, the perpetrator, never fully confessed to the murders. Even though he's serving his time in prison, he is not ashamed and still thinks very highly of himself. (I know, WTF)
Anyway, from what I gathered, the psychology behind it suggests that religion often connects to violent criminal cases like this one. Evil and strong religious beliefs often go together, as do mental illness and religious obsession. (I didn’t agree at first but…) This can also be seen in deranged cult leaders, both in fiction and reality. Chris is also a preacher's son who grew up in a VERY religious home which is what made me wonder if there is a link between religiosity and dangerous states of mind leading to evil deeds.
I'm not saying religiosity is bad but extreme religiosity can become harmful to mental health especially when it rigidly suppresses basic human instincts like sexuality, anger, and rage. When these natural instincts are condemned and repressed, they don't disappear, instead, they form an unconscious complex or a "splinter personality" that includes these rejected parts of ourselves. Carl Jung referred to this rejected part as the shadow. Spiritually is great and all that but when religious or spiritual beliefs lead to the condemnation, denial, and repression of these primal passions and emotions, the repressed parts can become more powerful and destructive which result in dangerous states of mind and evil actions.
So, when our natural emotions and instincts are denied and pushed away, they can manifest in harmful ways, leading to tragic outcomes like those in this case.
I didn't explore the psychology behind it, so I can see he was innocent. He is evil and will stay that way. I just wanted to see the motivator, which is, oddly enough, not cruel. But, insanely enough, humans make it unless they have control over their desires and live happily, knowing they are serving God's purpose by being that way and knowing that it's no one's fault. But, of course, that's not always the case.

[Jana B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Last Kiss is a true-crime non-fiction book based on the 2009 murders of Sheri Coleman and her sons Gavin and Garrett. I bought this book because the Coleman family lived in Waterloo, Illinois, right across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, where I lived most of my life. St. Louis sees plenty of murders, but this case shocked and saddened the entire community.

Christopher Coleman was the son of a minister, and a bodyguard for Joyce Meyer, the wealthy television minister who liked to tell people that God wanted her to be rich. Coleman had a pretty wife, Sheri, and two little boys, Gavin and Garrett. He also had a Florida girlfriend, a dog track waitress who happened to be his wife's best friend from high school.

Coleman desperately wanted to marry his girlfriend, and he came up with an insane, shockingly immoral plan to rid himself of the family who he believed was standing in the way of true happiness.

The book is like a fatal car crash. You know you should look away, but you can't. Raised in a strict Christian home, Christopher Coleman was a sociopath. He went through the motions of living, but had no morality, no empathy for other human beings, no conscience.

Coleman's parents, both ministers, stood by their son, as did their congregation.

This book is fascinating but hard to read. It is a glimpse into the mind of a man born with no conscience, and a look at the devastation such people can cause in the lives of others.

It is also a cautionary tale. Sheri Coleman had begun to fear that her husband wanted her dead, and had begun to carry a handgun. She told a friend that "Chris wants a new life, and my kids and I are in his way."

Unfortunately, she did not have the strength to leave an abusive marriage. Whenever I go shopping in the small town of Waterloo, I think about Sheri Coleman and what her life might have been, if she had just summoned the courage to walk out, if she had just asked for help from the many people who loved her. She and her boys lost their lives, and it didn't have to be that way.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work

This was an excellent piece of work, and it should be more well known than it is. The prose is far superior to what you normally find in true crime. I also appreciated how the author made this a treatise on the hypocrisy of a certain genre of Christianity, and took pains to call out the appalling behavior of the Colemans.

Over and over again, Chris Coleman and his parents, Ron and Connie, acted like the worst sort of entitled Christians. Judgmental of everyone else, but totally forgiving of their own terrible actions. I give props to the writer for making this a key part of the narrative.

This case, of course, is a lot like Chris Watts. It’s actually almost a carbon copy of Jeffrey MacDonald in the Fatal Vision case, which happened in 1970. This book is a modern version of that true crime classic, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand the mindset of a narcissistic family killer.

[Elisabeth Brookshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbelievable heinous crime

This book is extremely well written and tells the sad story of an evil, soulless man, Chris Coleman. To strangle your own wife of a decade and to be able to put your hands around the throats of your two little boys as they slept all to be with another woman is truly gruesome. Then, as if you haven't done enough, to desecrate their little bodies with spray painted obscenities. The fact he thought he could get away with it after all the blunders he made shows what a narcissist he truly was. Mixing a feeling of religious entitlement with unbridled lust turned out terribly for a large group of people. What a senseless tragedy.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author will keep you "hooked" until the final page. Even as long as I have been on this earth, I still find it difficult to believe the depths of depravity some humans will go into to satisfy their sick, demented, self-centered psychics (greed, sex and an an ample amount of utter stupidity!)

Let me sum this up by saying; Chris Coleman is evil incarnate but if you want to read about the lives he took and the lives he destroyed, you should find this book horrifically mesmerizing. My only question is; why do we find reading true crime books interesting? Rather scary to mull over this question.........

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very well written. It goes deep into the main character and why they knew from the start he was the one who did it. Since the main characters evolve around a Christian ministry, it was more interesting to see how the main character could, in cold blood, and without any empathy or remorse, kill his family. Even worse, his Pastor father and his mother who refused to believe in his guilt, never even grieved for their son's murdered family. The book goes into the crime, Chris Coleman's infidelity, the trial and the ultimate result. The detectives did a fantastic job in putting this horrible crime together. They would not give up.

[Pam Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mesmerizing!

For true crime aficionados this is a must! ‘One last Kiss’ is an excellent read and a very hard book to put down. Well researched and written. It held my attention throughout the book and did not get bogged down on insignificant details. Author Cuneo shows excellent insight into a truly soulless, evil narcissistic monster. I give it my highest recommendation.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful, organized, and well-researched.

Personally I could have done without the next-to-last chapter in which the author gives another summary of murders, the reasons Chris murdered his family, Chris’s religious upbringing. It was needlessly redundant.

Though the author introduces some good points in his “psychological analysis” of Chris, his delivery comes across as a personal rant, than a professional explanation.

[christel l. doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well-written account of a horrifying crime.

This book is better than most true-crime stories. The facts are presented in a compelling manner. There are no unnecessary salacious details, and the author does not continually repeat the same material over and over as some writers do. The book is well-paced and is a compelling read. (I read it in a day, could not put it down.) If you enjoy true crime, this book is definitely worth reading.

[Nikki Dykes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic story, great read.

I'm a true crime junkie who only recently came across a podcast featuring th horrific story of Sherri Coleman and her children. Following the podcast I did a little research and ran across your book. Great information told very respectively.

[Connie Brazzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair and informative view of a tragedy

This narrative was told in a timely manner that brought the story out in a precise and orderly step by step timeline. It helps give a n informative and compassionate look at the whole thing from start to finish.

[Diane Jeske · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good airplane read: page-turning true crime. The writing is pedestrian and the book needs some editing, but the horror of the crime can’t help but grip you as you wonder how anyone could act in such a way. (3.5 rounded up as an airplane read.)

[David Wanye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Chy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sad story, but I found the book was well researched and well written.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know that really liked it is an appropriate rating for this book considering the subject. That being said though, this book was a quick and interesting read. It was weird reading a book and knowing some of the people personally as we'll as knowing all the places that were referenced and reading someone else's description of them. I learned so much more about the Coleman murders from this book. There was a lot of information concerning Joyce Meyer that I hadn't heard before, some good and some bad. Fans of hers may not like the way she is presented. I found it compelling and hard to put down. I may look into his other books.

[Sammie Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really was hard for me to put down. The entire story enraptured me so much I had to go online and look up videos pictures everything and anything I could find about the case; which drew my interest even more! I thought the style in which the author wrote was pretty good, some of the constant renaming of who people were was helpful at some times and confusing at others but over all amazing book and it was very well written. It depicted this horrific story well.

[Karen Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this case morbidly fascinating when I watched it on 48 Hours. True crime author does a pretty good job here. I especially liked that he didn't go into details with the inevitable courtroom scenes. I only wish there was more about Sheri and Chris' early lives, only felt I was getting a snippet there.