Timeline of Santa Barbara Man Accused of Killing His Youngsters in Mexico – NBC 7 San Diego

A Santa Barbara, California father was charged with murder after allegedly taking his ten-month-old daughter and two-year-old son to Baja California, Mexico and killing them with a fish spear for “believing his children.” would grow into monsters, “said the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, has been charged with the foreign murder of US citizens, a federal charge brought by US attorneys when an American citizen is killed in another country.

According to a federal complaint, Coleman admitted the brutal murder of his two children in a Mirandaed interview in which he referred to conspiracy theories of QAnon and the Illuminati.

He told investigators that killing his children “was the only measure that would save the world” because his wife “possessed snake DNA” and according to the lawsuit, passed it on to his children.

“Serpent DNA” is an obvious reference to the “lizardmen” conspiracy theory which falsely claims that reptilian aliens are secretly ruling the world and have held important positions in government, banking and Hollywood, according to NBC News.

From the moment Coleman’s wife reported him and their two children missing, this is what happened:

August 7, 2021
Matthew Coleman leaves Santa Barbara home with his 2 children

According to a criminal complaint that was unsealed on Wednesday, Coleman inexplicably left his Santa Barbara home with his two children on August 7, 2021.

His wife, identified only as AC in the complaint, called the Santa Barbara police after being unable to reach Coleman.

AC told a Santa Barbara police officer that her family was planning a camping trip. Instead, Coleman drove off with her two children in her van without telling her where he was going. He also didn’t reply to her text message, the complaint said.

At the time, Coleman’s wife didn’t believe her children were in danger. She didn’t think Coleman would harm them and thought he would return home at some point, the complaint says.

No official missing person report was filed.

8:00 pm Coleman checks in with two young children at the Hotel City Express in Rosarito, Mexico. He does not have a reservation and is requesting a one-night stay, the Mexican authorities said, citing a surveillance video of his arrival.

August 8, 2021
Coleman and his 2 children are reported missing

19.00 The next day, AC called the police again. At 7 p.m., an officer came to the family home in Santa Barbara to take an official police report, and Coleman and the two children – a 10-month-old girl and a 2-year-old boy – were officially reported missing.

According to the ad, AC told police that they had no problems or arguments prior to his departure. She still couldn’t reach him by phone.

The official suggested locating Coleman using the Find My iPhone locator app, the complaint said. AC agreed and saw that he was in Rosarito, Mexico – a city about 20 miles south of the San Diego county border – around 2:30 p.m. that day. It was his last known location.

Since the missing are now in Mexico, the case was handed over to the Federal Criminal Police Office.

August 9, 2021
The bodies of 2 children are found

Baja California Attorney General

A surveillance video has taped the suspect checking in on the City Express Rosarito, authorities said

The FBI alerted authorities on the US-Mexico border in San Diego County to keep an eye out for Coleman and his two children.

3:00 am Coleman is seen leaving the City Express Hotel with bags and his two children, according to a surveillance video by Mexican authorities.

6.30 a.m. Coleman returns to the hotel alone.

7:30 a.m. Mexican authorities received a report that two lifeless children were found at Rancho El Descanso Ranch, about 20 miles south of the hotel. The ranch owner called the police after a farm worker discovered the two young bodies. He told Mexican officials that his dog led them to the crime scene.

Their bodies were covered with dozens of stab wounds, Mexican authorities said.

9:30 am Coleman checks out of his hotel by himself.

Baja California Attorney General

The surveillance video shows a man believed to be Coleman leaving the hotel at 3 a.m. with bags and two children, authorities said

August 9, 2021
Coleman tries to return to the United States

1:00 pm According to the criminal complaint, the Santa Barbara police inform the FBI that the Find My iPhone Locator app has provided a new location for Coleman – the San Ysidro Port of Entry, a land border crossing south of San Diego.

Coleman arrived alone at the US-Mexico border checkpoint. This prompted an FBI agent to contact the Mexican authorities to report two children of US nationals missing.

Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials searched the van. The criminal complaint said a CBP officer discovered blood on the delivery truck’s registration papers and alerted the FBI.

The Mexican authorities told the FBI that the bodies of two young children had been found early that morning. Investigators believed the descriptions matched those of Coleman’s two children.

August 9, 2021
Coleman admits killing his 2 children, the FBI says

Instagram / lovewater_surf

A photo of Santa Barbara surf instructor Matt Taylor Coleman accused of killing his two children in Rosarito, Mexico. This photo is from his surf school’s Instagram account.

Coleman is dragged into an inspection room where, according to a criminal complaint, an FBI agent read out his Miranda rights to him. Coleman agrees to speak to authorities anyway in a taped interview.

The FBI agent said during the interview that Coleman confessed to killing his children because his children were “becoming monsters”. According to the complaint, Coleman described how he repeatedly stabbed his two children with a fish spear and gave the location of their bodies – everything matched the evidence found at the scene. Coleman also told authorities where the gun was located.

During the interview, Coleman referred to the QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories, the complaint read. He said he was getting visions that his wife owned snake DNA and passed it on to his children.

When asked if he knew what he did was wrong, Coleman told authorities that he did it, “but it was the only way to save the world”.

Coleman is arrested.

August 10, 2021
Coleman is booked into jail

FBI agents transported Coleman from the San Ysidro port of entry to Santa Ana prison, where he was charged with the foreign murder of US citizens.

Later that day, Mexican officials found the murder weapon, bloody clothing and a baby blanket.

August 11, 2021
Coleman appears in federal court

Coleman had his first trial in the US District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He was arrested by a federal judge and is on remand. He is due to be indicted on August 31.