NEWNAN, GA – A Coweta County woman has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of murdering her husband during a dispute tied to their open marriage.
Cheryl Coe, 55, was found guilty Monday of murder and aggravated assault in the 2021 shooting death of her husband, Luther “Luke” Coe III, 48, at their home on Tommy Lee Cook Road. The verdict follows an investigation that revealed conflicting accounts of the events leading to the fatal encounter.
Authorities responded to the couple’s residence around 7:30 p.m. on June 23, 2021, after Coe called 911 claiming she had shot her husband, allegedly mistaking him for an intruder. Law enforcement officers arrived to find Luther Coe suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Initial statements to investigators indicated that Cheryl Coe believed someone had broken into her home. She reported consuming several hard cider drinks on the porch that evening while her husband worked in a detached garage before deciding to go to bed. According to her account, she awoke when the bedroom door opened unexpectedly and fired her weapon, thinking an intruder had entered.
However, investigators quickly found inconsistencies in her story. Medical evidence revealed that the gun had been fired at close range — a contact wound — rather than from a distance, contradicting Coe’s claim that she shot impulsively in self-defense.
Upon further questioning, Coe offered a revised version of events, saying a heated argument had erupted after her husband allegedly confronted her and tried to physically remove her from bed. She said she managed to grab a gun from the nightstand, firing a warning shot before shooting a second time after he reacted angrily. She maintained she was only attempting to frighten him and did not intend to cause harm.
Detectives uncovered additional context suggesting ongoing marital turmoil. Investigators reviewed text messages between the couple in the days before the shooting that pointed to growing tensions regarding their open marriage. Cheryl Coe had asked for permission to meet with another man, which reportedly led to further disagreements, including concerns that she may have been seeing multiple individuals.
Text exchanges highlighted disputes about the arrangement, with Cheryl suggesting they end the open marriage for the sake of their relationship. Luther Coe expressed discomfort with the situation but resisted ending it, proposing instead to establish new boundaries. Other messages indicated frustration over her discussing their marital problems with friends.
During the trial, Cheryl Coe took the stand and insisted she acted in self-defense, claiming her husband had never been so enraged with her before. She also explained that she initially described the incident as an accident out of a desire to protect her husband’s reputation. Prosecutors, however, challenged the reliability of her testimony, pointing to a series of contradictory statements.
Following the presentation of evidence and closing arguments, the jury returned a guilty verdict, and the judge imposed the maximum sentence allowed by state law.
Luther Coe, according to his obituary, was a U.S. Army veteran and the owner of a demolition and road grading business in the area.