In the quiet foothills of Golden, Colorado, the tranquility was shattered in mid-April of 2017, leaving a community in shock and a family torn apart by a senseless act of violence. On April 15th, concerned acquaintances, unable to reach their friends for several days, requested a welfare check at a home nestled in the wooded landscape of Coal Creek Canyon.
What sheriff's deputies discovered inside would launch a complex homicide investigation into the deaths of three people, including 56-year-old Kelly Sloat-White.
Upon entering the residence, authorities found the bodies of Kelly Sloat-White, her 54-year-old husband, Wallace Lance White, and his 39-year-old brother, Emory Leroy Fraker. All three victims had suffered trauma, and investigators quickly ruled out the possibility of a murder-suicide, indicating that they were searching for a killer. The home, which was believed to have been specifically targeted, showed signs of a violent encounter. The cause of death for all three was later determined to be gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the triple homicide spanned a month, with law enforcement piecing together the events that led to the brutal slayings. The turning point in the case came with the arrest of Garrett Matthew Coughlin. Evidence gathered by investigators pointed to Coughlin as the perpetrator of this heinous crime. While the exact motive was not immediately clear, the investigation uncovered a connection between Coughlin and the victims.
Following his arrest, Garrett Coughlin was charged with three counts of first-degree murder. The subsequent legal proceedings brought to light the details of what transpired in the secluded home in Coal Creek Canyon. Ultimately, Coughlin was found guilty of the murders of Kelly Sloat-White, Wallace Lance White, and Emory Leroy Fraker, and was sentenced for his role in the tragic deaths that left a lasting scar on the Golden community.
