Wanda McCoy was raped and murdered in the town of Grundy, Buchanan County, Virginia and her brother-in-law, Roger Coleman was charged, convicted and put to death for the crime. "May God Have Mercy" a book about the case of Roger Coleman and his unfair trial, the title seems more appropriate for how one should feel about those who played a crucial role in Coleman's conviction. It is apparent that our criminal justice system failed Roger Coleman by the inadequate investigation by Senior Special Agent Jack Davidson, lack of impartiality by Judge Nick Persin and the inexperience of the defense attorney's Steve Arey and Terry Jordan. After reading about Coleman's case I feel the conviction of Coleman was unfair and unjustifiable. .
Starting with the investigation it was blatant that Roger Coleman did not have a chance. To begin with the investigation was inadequate, the police did not properly investigate the crime, the crime scene was not sealed immediately and the local police were not equipped to deal with this type of investigation. In addition, there were key elements that were not taken into consideration: the pry mark on the front door and the scratches the assailant would have had on his body. Davidson's investigation into the murder was not thorough; he did not write his reports until weeks later meanwhile adding details that were not provided by the witnesses. Davidson also suppressed information in his report leaving other possible suspects unquestioned. Coleman was almost immediately Davidson's prime suspect. Even though Coleman's alibi, supported by a witness and physical evidence, showed that it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for him to commit the crime. There was no substantial evidence that connected Coleman to the murder. It was merely a juggling of minutes by Davidson that put Coleman at the murder scene. Not to mention the fact that the blood and hair forensic evidence could possibly match not only Coleman but also 13% of the South Eastern United States.