Alton Coleman: The 1984 Midwest Murder Spree
Alton Coleman was an American serial killer whose violent 1984 crime spree, committed largely with his companion Debra Denise Brown, crossed six states and left eight people dead. During approximately seven weeks, Coleman and Brown moved through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky while committing murders, kidnappings, sexual assaults, attempted murders, robberies, home invasions, beatings, and automobile thefts. Their constantly changing locations and stolen vehicles made the pair difficult for authorities to track and eventually resulted in a nationwide manhunt.
Coleman was born on November 6, 1955, in Waukegan, Illinois. He had accumulated a lengthy criminal history before the 1984 spree, including allegations and prosecutions involving sexual violence and unlawful restraint. By the spring of 1984, he was again facing serious criminal charges. Instead of remaining in the area to face the legal proceedings, Coleman fled and began traveling with Brown. What followed became one of the most notorious interstate crime sprees of the era.
Debra Brown and the Beginning of the Spree
Debra Denise Brown became Coleman's companion and accomplice during the 1984 crimes. The pair frequently gained access to victims by appearing friendly, asking for assistance, pretending to be interested in purchasing something, or establishing enough trust to be invited into a home. They then used violence, threats, restraint, and robbery before taking money, property, or vehicles that allowed them to continue traveling.
The first murder for which Coleman was ultimately convicted involved nine-year-old Vernita Wheat of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Coleman had introduced himself to Vernita's mother under the name Robert Knight and gradually gained her trust. On May 29, 1984, Vernita was allowed to accompany Coleman after he claimed he was going to obtain a stereo. Witnesses subsequently saw Coleman traveling with the child from Kenosha toward Waukegan, Illinois.
Vernita never returned home. Her body was discovered on June 19, 1984, inside the bathroom of an abandoned building in Waukegan. She had been bound with cable and strangled. Medical testimony estimated that she had died approximately three weeks before her body was discovered, while forensic insect evidence indicated that her body had been placed in the abandoned building on May 29 or May 30. Coleman's fingerprint was discovered on the bathroom door. He was eventually convicted of Vernita's kidnapping and murder.
The Gary, Indiana Attacks
By June, Coleman and Brown were in Gary, Indiana. On June 18, 1984, they approached two young girls, seven-year-old Tamika Turks and an older girl identified in court proceedings by the initials A.H. The pair enticed the children into a wooded area.
Both children were restrained. Tamika was brutally assaulted and strangled. A.H. was sexually assaulted and then strangled with belts until she lost consciousness. Coleman and Brown apparently believed she was dead and left her behind. She regained consciousness and managed to reach help. Her survival became extremely important to the prosecution because she was able to describe the attack and identify Coleman.
Tamika Turks died on June 18, 1984, in Gary. Her body was found in the wooded area with material tied around her neck. Coleman was later convicted in Indiana of murder, attempted murder, and child molestation in connection with the attack.
Donna Williams and the Michigan Crimes
On June 19, 1984, Coleman befriended 25-year-old Donna Williams of Gary, Indiana. Williams disappeared that day. Her automobile later turned up in Detroit, Michigan, and her badly decomposed body was discovered in an abandoned building in Detroit on July 11, approximately a quarter to a half mile from where her vehicle had been located.
Donna had been strangled with a ligature. Because of the decomposition of her remains and the amount of time that had passed, the precise day of her death was not conclusively established in the available court record. Her disappearance on June 19 and the subsequent movement of her automobile, however, placed her death within Coleman's interstate crime spree. Coleman and Brown were strongly linked to her murder, although authorities concentrated their prosecutions on other killings that already exposed them to the death penalty.
The pair continued committing violent crimes in Michigan. On June 28, they entered the Dearborn Heights home of Palmer Jones and his wife, Marjorie. Palmer was handcuffed and severely beaten, and his wife was also assaulted. Coleman and Brown robbed the couple, tore the telephone from the wall, and stole their automobile. Both victims survived.
Virginia and Rachelle Temple
By early July, Coleman and Brown had reached Toledo, Ohio. Coleman befriended Virginia Temple, a 30-year-old mother of several children. Coleman and Brown went to the Temple residence on July 6. During the night of July 6 or the early morning hours of July 7, Virginia and her eldest daughter, Rachelle, were killed.
When Virginia's other children awoke, their mother and sister were missing. Concerned relatives and police eventually searched the residence and discovered the bodies of Virginia and Rachelle concealed in a crawl space. Both had been beaten and strangled. Rachelle had also been sexually assaulted. Records differ slightly concerning Rachelle's age, identifying her as either nine or ten years old.
Property was taken from the Temple home. One particularly important item was a bracelet, which later surfaced beneath the body of another murder victim in Cincinnati. The discovery helped investigators demonstrate the physical trail left by Coleman and Brown as they traveled from city to city.
Further Toledo and Dayton Attacks
On July 7, Coleman and Brown entered the Toledo home of Frank and Dorothy Duvendack. Frank was handcuffed, while Dorothy was restrained using electrical and telephone cords. The couple was robbed, and Coleman and Brown stole their automobile. The Duvendacks survived.
Coleman and Brown then reached Dayton, Ohio, where they encountered Reverend Millard Gay and his wife, Kathryn. The Gays initially treated the pair as guests and even accompanied them to a religious service. On July 10, the Gays drove Coleman and Brown to Cincinnati, unaware of the full extent of the manhunt developing around them.
The Murder of Tonnie Storey
Fifteen-year-old Tonnie Storey left her Cincinnati home on July 11, 1984, to attend a computer class. Later that afternoon she was seen with Coleman and Brown. She did not return home.
Tonnie was strangled and her body was abandoned inside a vacant building in Cincinnati. Investigators recovered personal property belonging to her and evidence connecting Coleman and Brown to the scene. Brown's fingerprint was found on a Michael Jackson button associated with Tonnie, while a shoe impression was linked to Coleman. Property stolen from the Temple family in Toledo was also recovered near Tonnie's body, providing another connection between the separate crimes.
Tonnie Storey's murder was dated to July 11, 1984. Her decomposed body was discovered several days later. Coleman was eventually convicted of aggravated murder in her death and received one of his Ohio death sentences.
The Murder of Marlene Walters
On the morning of July 13, 1984, Coleman and Brown arrived by bicycle in Norwood, Ohio, near Cincinnati. They approached the home of Harry and Marlene Walters while pretending to be interested in purchasing a camping trailer the couple had for sale.
Once inside, Coleman and Brown attacked the couple. Harry Walters was struck in the head with a wooden candlestick and suffered a devastating brain injury. He lost consciousness and remained comatose for an extended period but survived.
Marlene Walters, 44, was killed during the attack. She suffered repeated blunt-force injuries, including blows inflicted with a pair of vise grips. Investigators found evidence of the struggle throughout the house, including Coleman's fingerprints. Coleman and Brown fled in the Walters family's red Plymouth Reliant after stealing money, jewelry, clothing, and other property.
Marlene Walters died on July 13, 1984. Her murder became the case for which Ohio ultimately executed Coleman.
Kidnapping in Kentucky
After leaving the Cincinnati area, Coleman and Brown traveled south into Kentucky. They encountered college professor Oline Carmical Jr. near Williamsburg and abducted him. Carmical was forced into the trunk of his own automobile while Coleman and Brown used the vehicle to continue traveling.
The car was eventually abandoned in Dayton, Ohio, on July 17. Carmical remained locked inside the trunk until he was discovered and rescued. His survival resulted in a federal kidnapping prosecution against Coleman and Brown.
Attack on Reverend Millard and Kathryn Gay
On July 17, Coleman and Brown returned to the Dayton home of Reverend Millard Gay and Kathryn Gay. By that time, Reverend Gay had recognized that their former guests were the fugitives being sought throughout the Midwest.
Coleman and Brown produced weapons and attacked the elderly couple. Reverend Gay was struck and restrained. Kathryn Gay was also attacked and nearly strangled. During the encounter, Coleman reportedly attempted to fire a weapon at Kathryn, but the gun failed to discharge. Both victims survived. Coleman and Brown stole the Gays' automobile and continued fleeing.
The Murder of Eugene Scott
The final death linked to the spree was that of Eugene Scott of Indianapolis, Indiana. Contemporary reports commonly identified Scott as 77 years old, although some later records give a different age.
Scott was encountered during the final stage of Coleman and Brown's flight. He was killed by multiple gunshot and stab wounds, and his automobile was stolen. His body was discovered in a ditch near Indianapolis on July 19, 1984. Evidence indicates that the killing occurred shortly before the discovery, generally placing his death on July 18 or July 19.
When Coleman and Brown were captured the following day, Scott's stolen automobile was found near the location of their arrest. Although his murder was strongly linked to the pair, it was not one of the four murders for which Coleman ultimately received a murder conviction.
Known Murder Victims
- Vernita Wheat, 9 — Estimated death May 29-30, 1984; Waukegan, Illinois. Abducted from Kenosha, Wisconsin, and taken into Illinois. She was bound and killed by ligature strangulation. Her body was discovered June 19, 1984. Coleman was convicted of her murder.
- Tamika Turks, 7 — June 18, 1984; Gary, Indiana. Tamika was assaulted and strangled after being abducted with another young girl. Coleman was convicted of her murder.
- Donna Williams, 25 — Exact death date undetermined; disappeared June 19, 1984, from Gary, Indiana, and was found dead July 11, 1984, in Detroit, Michigan. She had been strangled. Her murder was linked to Coleman and Brown but was not separately prosecuted to conviction.
- Virginia Temple, 30 — Night of July 6 to early July 7, 1984; Toledo, Ohio. She was beaten and strangled inside her home and concealed in a crawl space.
- Rachelle Temple, 9 or 10 — Night of July 6 to early July 7, 1984; Toledo, Ohio. Virginia Temple's daughter was sexually assaulted, beaten, and strangled. Her body was concealed with her mother's in the home's crawl space.
- Tonnie Storey, 15 — July 11, 1984; Cincinnati, Ohio. She was abducted and strangled, and her body was left in an abandoned building. Coleman was convicted of her aggravated murder.
- Marlene Walters, 44 — July 13, 1984; Norwood, Ohio. She was repeatedly beaten during an attack inside her home. Coleman was convicted of her aggravated murder.
- Eugene Scott — Approximately July 18-19, 1984; Indianapolis, Indiana area. He was shot and stabbed, and his automobile was stolen. His body was discovered July 19. The stolen vehicle was recovered near Coleman and Brown when they were arrested.
Survivors of the Crime Spree
Although eight deaths were connected to Coleman and Brown, the number of people affected by their violence was considerably larger. Several victims survived attempted killings, severe beatings, kidnappings, sexual assaults, or home invasions.
- A.H. — Survived the June 18, 1984 attack in Gary, Indiana, in which Tamika Turks was murdered. She was sexually assaulted and strangled until unconscious but recovered and helped identify Coleman.
- Palmer and Marjorie Jones — Attacked and robbed on June 28, 1984, in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Both survived.
- Frank and Dorothy Duvendack — Bound and robbed on July 7, 1984, in Toledo, Ohio. Their automobile was stolen.
- Harry Walters — Severely beaten on July 13, 1984, in Norwood, Ohio, during the attack that killed his wife Marlene. He survived with permanent injuries.
- Oline Carmical Jr. — Kidnapped in Kentucky and imprisoned in the trunk of his automobile before being rescued in Dayton, Ohio, on July 17, 1984.
- Millard and Kathryn Gay — Attacked, restrained, and robbed in Dayton, Ohio, on July 17, 1984. Both survived.
The Nationwide Manhunt
As investigators in different states began connecting murders, stolen vehicles, robberies, and surviving witnesses, the scale of Coleman's activities became increasingly clear. Police departments and federal authorities exchanged information while attempting to predict where Coleman and Brown would appear next.
On July 11, 1984, Coleman became the 388th fugitive placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. His photograph received widespread publicity as authorities warned that Coleman and Brown should be considered extremely dangerous.
Their reliance on stolen automobiles complicated the search. A vehicle taken during one crime might be abandoned hundreds of miles away and replaced with another stolen from the next victim. The pattern produced an expanding trail through several Midwestern states.
Capture in Evanston
The search ended on July 20, 1984, in Evanston, Illinois. A citizen who recognized Coleman alerted police after spotting Coleman and Brown near Mason Park. Evanston officers converged on the area and arrested the pair without a major confrontation.
Coleman initially gave officers a false identity but was positively identified through fingerprints. He was carrying knives, while Brown possessed a loaded revolver. Eugene Scott's stolen automobile was recovered nearby, providing immediate evidence connecting the fugitives to yet another killing.
Coleman's time on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list had lasted only nine days.
Trials and Four Death Sentences
Because the crimes crossed numerous jurisdictions, prosecutors faced the unusual problem of determining where Coleman and Brown should be tried first. Authorities focused heavily on cases in which evidence was especially strong and where convictions could result in the most severe sentences.
Coleman was convicted of murdering Marlene Walters in Ohio and received a death sentence. He was separately convicted of murdering Tonnie Storey and received another Ohio death sentence. Indiana sentenced him to death for the murder of Tamika Turks, and Illinois imposed another death sentence for the murder of Vernita Wheat.
As a result, Coleman accumulated four death sentences in three different states, an extraordinary legal situation. He was also convicted of additional offenses, including attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, and child molestation.
The remaining killings attributed to Coleman and Brown did not all result in separate murder trials. By that point Coleman already faced multiple death sentences, and prosecutors concentrated their resources on preserving the convictions they had obtained.
Debra Brown's Convictions
Brown was prosecuted separately for her participation in the crime spree and was convicted of serious offenses including murder. She also received a death sentence in Ohio for the murder of Tonnie Storey.
In 1991, Ohio Governor Richard Celeste commuted Brown's death sentence to life imprisonment. Coleman, however, continued pursuing appeals against the death sentences imposed upon him.
Execution
After years of state and federal appeals, Ohio scheduled Coleman's execution for the murder of Marlene Walters. His other death sentences remained an unusual reminder of the number of jurisdictions in which he had been convicted of murder.
On April 26, 2002, Alton Coleman was executed by lethal injection at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio. He was 46 years old. His execution brought to an end nearly eighteen years of legal proceedings stemming from the seven-week crime spree of 1984.
Legacy of the Coleman-Brown Crime Spree
The crimes of Alton Coleman and Debra Brown became notorious not simply because of the number of victims, but because of the speed and geographic scope of the violence. Families in city after city encountered the pair with little warning, while stolen vehicles enabled them to cross state boundaries before local investigators fully understood that individual crimes were connected.
Eight deaths were ultimately linked to the spree: Vernita Wheat, Tamika Turks, Donna Williams, Virginia Temple, Rachelle Temple, Tonnie Storey, Marlene Walters, and Eugene Scott. Coleman was formally convicted of four of those murders: Wheat, Turks, Storey, and Walters. The deaths of Williams, the Temples, and Scott were nevertheless repeatedly connected to Coleman and Brown by investigators, court proceedings, physical evidence, stolen property, or their movements during the interstate manhunt.
The surviving victims also played an essential role in reconstructing the events. Their testimony allowed investigators to establish the methods Coleman and Brown used to approach victims, document the violence they committed, and link attacks occurring hundreds of miles apart. The eventual arrest in Evanston ended a crime spree that had stretched from late May until July 20, 1984, leaving victims and their families across six states dealing with its consequences for decades.
