Mother of sexual assault advocate Daisy Coleman copied her daughter and took her own life by shooting herself dead, it emerged on Monday, as social media posts showed her deeply traumatized state of mind.
Melinda Coleman, 58, died on Sunday at home in Missouri four months after Daisy, 23, killed herself, having learnt she could not have children.
Daisy became an inspiration and source of strength for many when she spoke candidly about being sexually assault at the age of 14 in the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy.
On Monday a close friend of Melinda’s, Tami Piburn, revealed that she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound just like Daisy.
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Melinda Coleman, 58, died on Sunday at home in Missouri four months after Daisy, 23, killed herself. Daisy Coleman is pictured with her mom Melinda at a New York Special Screening of Netflix ‘Audrie & Daisy’ in September 2016
Daisy is pictured above shortly before her death. She became an inspiration and source of strength for many when she spoke candidly about being sexually assault at the age of 14 in the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy
Melinda shared photos of her daughter and a heartbreaking final Facebook post on Sunday evening above
One of her two sons, Logan, 25, was in the house at the time.
‘She shot herself around 6pm in her home,’ Piburn told The Sun.
‘Logan was home when it happened, I’m so worried about him.
‘I’m shattered, I can’t seem to stop crying. I can’t even breathe.
‘I was talking to her on the phone yesterday [Saturday] and I told her I had something planned for her birthday on the 21st.
‘I don’t know what to do without my best friend. She has been really struggling.’
Just hours before her death, Melinda posted a series of posts and pictures of Daisy to her Facebook page.
‘There aren’t enough I love yous I could have said when I was holding your cold, broken , dead body,’ wrote Melinda.
‘I held you like a baby anyway, my baby. The baby I held when you first came into this world.
‘It has always been my greatest honor and joy to be your mother and best friend. Mama bear!’
One post was a message from Daisy’s late father to her. The letter described the joy Melinda and Michael Coleman experienced when Daisy was born.
‘We went to the hospital and found our Daisy,’ the note read. ‘When the doctor held you in the air, we were very proud parents. I was privileged to rock you to sleep every night for the first year of your life.’
Her death comes two weeks after she posted a cryptic message that worried friends.
On November 18, she wrote: ‘Albany wins. I’m dead’ – an apparent reference to her Missouri hometown, where Daisy was shunned after her attack.
On November 20, she lamented that she had let her daughter down.
‘My heroic daughter who saved so many and suffered more than anyone ever should,’ she wrote.
‘We failed her. She did great things for us and we failed her. Especially me.’
On December 1, she wrote: ‘Just need to cry for awhile. Missing my babies!’
Daisy fatally shot herself at her home in Colorado Springs, while on a FaceTime call with her on/off boyfriend.
She had attempted suicide multiple times before.
The tragic family’s saga began with the death of Melinda’s husband Michael in a car crash in 2009, when the car with Daisy, one of her brothers, and their father skidded on ice and went off a ravine.
Three years later, in January 2012, Daisy was raped at a house party, aged 14, by high school athlete Matthew Barnett.
He attacked her while a boy filmed the assault.
In 2016 Daisy’s story was made into a Netflix series, intertwining her tale with that of Audrie Pott who killed herself in 2012, eight days after she was sexually assaulted at a house party by three teenagers and footage of the attack appeared online.
Pott was 15 when she was assaulted at a party by three 16-year-old boys in Saratoga, California.
Naked pictures of the young girl were posted online and she was intensely bullied.
In the film, Daisy described being plied with alcohol and raped at a house party hosted by the popular high school footballer, in her in Missouri home town.
The documentary followed Daisy around for two years, documenting the trauma of her ordeal and the hostility from their community.
The sheriff of their town of Maryville, Darren White, told the Netflix documentary makers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk: ‘Girls have as much culpability as boys.’
Barnett, son of a Republican state politician, denied raping Daisy and served four months in prison on the misdemeanor charge of child endangerment.
The family’s tragedy did not end there.
Their home burned down in a fire in 2013 and in 2018, Daisy’s brother, Tristan Ash Coleman, died in a car accident at age 19, while he was helping his sister move to Colorado Springs.
Daisy leveraged her experiences and fame to found SafeBae, a sexual assault prevention group.
On Monday SafeBae executive director Shael Norris said that Melinda spoke to students about sexual assault prevention via Zoom just days before she died.
‘So she jumped on the call and talked to all the kids, and the thing she texted me was how beautiful that was to just be able to see it herself,’ Norris said.
‘She just said thank you for giving me that, and I love you. And that was her last text,’ Norris added.
SafeBae announced the news of Melinda’s death on Sunday.
‘The bottomless grief of losing her husband, Tristan and Daisy was more than she could face most days,’ the organization said.
Melinda Coleman struggled to cope after the deaths of her husband, son and daughter
Melinda (pictured with daughter Daisy), 58, died by suicide on Sunday – four months after Daisy, 23, took her own life
‘Melinda was a gifted veterinarian, devoted mother and wife, and talented body builder.
‘More than anything, she loved and believed in her children. It is no accident that she created some of the most gifted, passionate, and resilient children.
‘Our hearts are with Logan and Charlie. There are no words for our sadness, only that if you are struggling with trauma or depression, you are not alone.’
Several people who said they were friends of Melinda’s paid tribute to her on social media as ‘thoughtful, compassionate and sincere’.
One woman said that Melinda became a friend to her ‘in a way she knew I needed’ after their sons died around the same time.
Cindy Waitt, who produced the Audrie & Daisy documentary, wrote: ‘Melinda, I will never forget our first conversation when you and Daisy agreed to tell your story.
‘I told you at Sundance that your story would touch countless lives. And it did. Rest in Peace beautiful lady.’
For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
SafeBae, a sexual assault prevention group, announced the death of Melinda on Sunday