QAnon Follower Deemed Incompetent for Trial in Children’s Speargun Killings

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Matthew Taylor Coleman, a 43-year-old California surf instructor and QAnon follower accused of killing his two young children with a spearfishing gun in Mexico, remains incompetent to stand trial, according to court documents filed last month. His attorneys and federal prosecutors have repeatedly requested extensions as Coleman, who has been in federal custody since his 2021 arrest, continues to exhibit severe mental health issues.

Coleman is charged with two counts of murdering U.S. nationals on foreign soil after allegedly killing his 2-year-old son Kaleo and 10-month-old daughter Roxy in Baja California, Mexico, in August 2021. Authorities say Coleman believed his children had “serpent DNA” and needed to be killed to protect humanity, a claim rooted in QAnon conspiracy theories.

According to court records, Coleman has repeatedly attempted to harm himself while in custody, including cutting himself with a razor, diving headfirst into a toilet, and slamming his head against the floor. He has been under constant observation and is being medicated against his will since May 2023. Despite these measures, his mental state has shown no significant improvement, his attorneys say.

“He rambles a lot, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense,” a Coleman family member told The Post. “Something has happened, but he’s not the man we know and love. I don’t know what switched.”

Coleman’s wife, Abby, reported him and their children missing on Aug. 7, 2021, after he abruptly took the kids from their Santa Barbara home and drove into Mexico. Two days later, Coleman allegedly stabbed the children with a spearfishing gun on a remote ranch. A farmer discovered their bodies within hours, and Coleman was arrested as he attempted to re-enter the U.S.

In a 30-page search warrant affidavit, Coleman allegedly told FBI agents he was “seeing all the pieces being decoded like ‘The Matrix,’ and that he was Neo,” the film’s protagonist. He claimed his wife had passed “serpent DNA” to their children, necessitating their deaths to prevent the spread of corruption.

Abby Coleman has since moved to Texas, where she is surrounded by family. While she has not filed for divorce, a source close to the family said she is “trying to pick up the pieces of her life.” The source added, “Obviously what she had is now gone forever, and she’s been dealing with that for more than three years. But she’ll never be the same. It’s still very sad.”

U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo has set a Feb. 18 deadline for attorneys to agree on a treatment plan for Coleman, warning that no further extensions will be granted. Coleman was deemed incompetent to stand trial in October 2023 and has been undergoing court-ordered treatment since. Federal prosecutors decided against pursuing the death penalty in February 2023.

Coleman’s court-appointed attorneys declined to comment on the case. The next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18, where his competency and potential trial timeline will be addressed.