In the winter of 2011, the life of a young White / Caucasian man, Stephen P. Coen, 29, was tragically cut short in Topeka, Kansas. On the evening of December 18th, Coen was fatally shot, leaving behind a grieving family, including a daughter and an expectant child. A self-employed auto mechanic and a graduate of Atchison High School, he was remembered by loved ones as a son, brother, father, and friend who had overcome much in his short life.
The investigation into the shooting led Topeka police to a suspect, Marshall Stewart IV. Stewart was subsequently arrested and faced legal proceedings for his involvement in Coen's death. The case concluded with Stewart being convicted of voluntary manslaughter for the shooting. As a result of his conviction, he was sentenced to a prison term of more than eight years.
Years after serving his sentence for the death of Stephen Coen, Marshall Stewart IV once again found himself in conflict with the law. In June of 2021, he was arrested in connection with a separate and unrelated homicide in Topeka, facing new charges that included second-degree murder. This later incident brought the memory of Stephen Coen's untimely death back into the thoughts of the community.
