A Georgia woman has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for fatally shooting her husband in 2021 after initially telling police it was an accident and later changing her story multiple times.
Conviction and Sentencing
On Monday, Aug. 18, a Coweta County jury found Cheryl Howell Coe, now in her early 50s, guilty of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault in connection with the shooting death of her husband, Luther Coe, on June 23, 2021, at their home in Newnan, Georgia.
Cheryl was immediately sentenced to life without parole, according to reports from The Newnan Times-Herald and Fox 5 Atlanta.
Conflicting Accounts and Evidence
From the beginning, investigators noted that Cheryl gave inconsistent statements about the shooting. She first told police she believed an intruder had entered her bedroom at night, leading her to grab a gun from the nightstand and fire. She claimed she only realized it was her husband when she heard him say, “Cheryl, you shot me.”
But prosecutors pointed to physical evidence and medical examiner testimony showing that Luther had been shot at point-blank range, contradicting her initial “intruder” explanation.
Marital Strain and Open Relationship
During the trial, jurors heard that Cheryl and Luther had been in an open marriage since 2020, engaging in sexual relationships with friends. While Luther’s son described their relationship as seemingly “happy,” prosecutors said disputes over the boundaries of their arrangement created tension.
On the night of the shooting, Cheryl admitted she had been drinking four to five hard ciders and had taken a Klonopin before going to bed. Less than 15 minutes later, she shot her husband in their bedroom.
Cheryl’s Changing Story
According to police testimony, Cheryl later claimed Luther had entered the bedroom angrily, telling her to “get her ass out of bed.” She alleged that he pulled a pillow from between her legs and tried to drag her out of bed, which frightened her.
Cheryl told investigators she only intended to fire a warning shot into the wall to scare him, saying:
“I was just trying to hit the wall behind the TV so it would scare him off or make him leave. I wasn’t trying to hit him.”
She testified during trial that she was “scared” and had never seen Luther so enraged.
Prosecution’s Argument
In closing arguments, Senior Assistant District Attorney Laura Lukert described Cheryl as “the most unreliable of narrators,” noting her shifting stories over time. Lukert emphasized that, despite the excuses, “The only consistency we have is that that woman shot Luther Coe.”
The jury agreed, convicting Cheryl on all major counts, leading to her sentence of life without parole.
What began as a claim of mistaken identity unraveled into a conviction for murder after investigators uncovered inconsistencies and physical evidence contradicting Cheryl Coe’s version of events. The tragic case highlights how strained personal relationships, combined with conflicting accounts, ultimately left a Georgia jury convinced of her guilt. Cheryl Coe will now spend the rest of her life in prison with no chance of parole.
