The Murder of David Weedman
For this case I watched an episode of Murder in the Heartland. It’s season 3 episode 10, titled ‘Unbrotherly Behavior.’
A 62 year old man’s death is ruled as a suicide, until the police decide to take a closer look at the case.
Background
David Weedman was a father, a brother and an all around nice person. He had four kids, and two step-children.
His family said David loved to fish, hunt, and spend time with family and friends. If people were bored, they’d go to David’s house. He made friends really easily, and was very trusting. His close friends and family said several times that his trust in certain people was what led to his death.
David Weedman
The Murder
On March 1, 2017, David’s sister Barb, and her friend went to David’s home. They hadn’t seen him in a few days. When they arrived, his truck was backed into the driveway, which was unusual for David. They knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Barb said she wasn’t too concerned because David could’ve just been out with a friend.
By March 4, David’s family and friends still hadn’t heard from him. His son and step-daughter went over to his house, where he lived alone. They found David dead on his living room floor. David’s stepdaughter called the police, and told them that he had been shot.
The Indiana State police arrived at David’s home. He was lying on the living room floor in a pool of blood. A revolver was in David’s left hand, but later it was revealed that David was right handed. The doors were locked in David’s home, and the gun holster was found at the scene.
The coroner immediately ruled David’s death as a suicide, and said they wouldn’t be performing an autopsy.
The Investigation
Larry McCart with the Indiana State police believed from the very beginning that it was not a suicide. The gun still being in David’s hand was unusual. David’s family believed that his death wasn’t a suicide either.
On March 5, David’s body was released to his family. It was set to be cremated, but the family asked for an autopsy to be done instead. A forensic pathologist named Dr. John Headingsfelder performed the autopsy at the funeral home. He found a large exit wound on the top of David’s head, and an entrance wound behind David’s right ear. He said it would’ve been very difficult for a right handed person to shoot himself that way, especially with his non-dominant hand.
He ruled David’s death as a staged scene. On March 7, David’s case was now officially a homicide investigation.
The Suspects
A tip came into the police about a man named Bob Hunter, one of David’s friends. Bob had posted a picture of him and David on his Facebook page. The police took a look at the photo, because David had been wearing the same shirt when he was found dead, as he had been wearing in the picture.
Bob was brought in for questioning. Bob said he saw David the week before he died. They asked Bob about the picture, but Bob said the picture was from the previous year. Bob was eventually ruled out, and briefly interviewed in this episode. He said it was devastating to know that he was looked into as a suspect.
On March 8, the police created a timeline of David’s last movements. On the night he died, he had been seen with a male and a female at a popular bar in town. The man and woman were identified as Ricky Coalter and Nicki Anderson.
On March 9, Nicki and Randy were brought in for questioning.
A Suspicious Story
The police asked Nicki what their relationship was to David. Nicki told the police that she had heard David talking about wanting to do something to himself for months. The police told her that they knew it wasn’t a suicide.
Nicki then told the police that she and Randy had been at the bar with David. They then decided to go back to David’s to have more drinks and talk. Nicki said everything was fine that night, and that David was alive when they left.
As the interviews went on, the police learned that Randy and Nicki had gotten into an argument at David’s. A friend of Nicki’s told the police that Randy had hit Nicki in the face, but she denied it. Nicki said that after the argument, she and Randy left and went their separate ways.
During Randy’s interview, he told the police that another man named Jimmy Ransom was at David’s that night. Jimmy was questioned, and said he drove to David’s around 10:30pm on the night he died.
Jimmy was asked if David kept guns around the house, and Jimmy said yes. Jimmy said David kept the guns in his bedroom, and that he had never touched any of David’s guns. Jimmy agreed to give the police a sample of his DNA. The state crime lab found it inconclusive.
Jimmy was eventually ruled out, and he too was interviewed in this episode. He said David was his friend, and that he never would’ve hurt him.
What Really Happened?
Another rumor spread that David’s killer was a man named Teddy, who had a criminal history. However, Teddy was eventually ruled out.
On March 20, 2017, the police received a complaint about Randy and Nicki. They were arrested for stealing a truck.
The police confronted Nicki, and told her that she needed to tell the truth. Nicki said Randy had told her to stick to the story, and she did. They went over to David’s to talk that night. Randy continued to drink, and eventually accused David and Nicki of having a sexual relationship.
Randy hit Nicki in the mouth, and she started to bleed. David told them that he wasn't going to have that in his home, and asked them to leave. Nicki left, and was given a ride home from David’s son-in-law. She told him that she was worried about David.
The police had received another tip on March 1, that proved Randy was near David’s home. A woman had called the police, and said she saw a man walk out of the woods. Randy was found by the police, and they asked him if he needed a ride back into town.
Nicki said Randy finally admitted to her that he shot David in the face, and that she was next. Randy then staged the scene to make it look like a suicide.
Arrest and Conviction
Randy was arrested for murder. Nicki was not charged with anything in exchange for her testimony.
On August 7, 2017, Randy pleaded not guilty. However, he was found guilty of murder on August 14. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Randy Coalter
FINAL THOUGHTS
David was truly friends with everyone. He enjoyed having a good time, and he was doing just that on March 1. However, he befriended the wrong people. David was trying to help an already tense situation, and he lost his life trying to protect a woman from her abusive boyfriend. It’s heartbreaking, but at least Randy will rot in prison forever.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/david-weedman-murder-where-is-randy-coalter-now/
https://wiki.projecttopics.org/760951-what-happened-to-david-weedman-case-update-and-more/index.html
https://www.14news.com/story/34971265/tell-city-man-charged-with-murder/
