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Genai Coleman's murder remains one of the most shocking instances of a random crime in the history of Gwinnett County, Georgia. Coleman, a 40-year-old elementary teacher, who also happened to be a renowned and respected member of her community, was murdered when a perpetrator tried to steal her car at a parking lot near the Gwinnett Place Mall, Georgia.
This 2008 case is the subject of the upcoming episode of The Real Murders of Atlanta, which is slated to air on September 14, 2024, at 9 pm EST on Oxygen. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"After a naval reservist is gunned down in her car outside an Atlanta mall, detectives pour over video footage, phone records, and forensic evidence, only to discover that the DNA sample found at the crime scene creates an unforeseen twist in the case."
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This case has many intriguing details. Ahead of this upcoming episode of The Real Murders of Atlanta, let's go over five details about the murder of Genai Coleman.
Five interesting details about Genai Coleman's murder
1) Genai Coleman was a mother of three who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time
Coleman, a 40-year-old elementary teacher, was simply waiting to pick her daughter up at around 9 pm in a parking lot near Gwinnett Place Mall, Georgia. However, an individual unknown to her walked out of a gas station across the street and held her at gunpoint.
Soon, he shot her before driving away in her car.
2) The motive of Genai Coleman's murder was only her car
Genai was murdered simply because the assailant, Ronald Smith, wanted to steal her car. Brittany Barrington, the crime scene supervisor for the case, called this a "crime of opportunity." Speaking to Fox, Barrington explained:
"She was doing what people do every day, and I still do it sometimes – everybody does. You’re just sitting in your car on your phone, not paying attention, just in a random parking lot. He took advantage of that. It’s truly a crime of opportunity. He needed her car, and he was going to take it."
3) The police originally arrested Ronald's twin brother in what would be one of the biggest twists in the investigation
The police found the stolen car the following day. With DNA evidence, among other things, the police singled out Donald Smith, a man with a prior conviction for a weapon charge.
But after they arrested and brought Donald in, the authorities discovered that Donald wasn't involved in the crime, and it was his twin brother, Ronald, which also explained the DNA match.
4) Ronald claimed that he did not intend to kill Coleman, but the gun went off
Although Donald didn't want to implicate his brother, upon learning the truth, the police eventually arrested Ronald Smith, and he confessed to the crime.
However, Ronald claimed that he didn't intend to kill Coleman, and it only happened because the gun went off while he was trying to steal the car at gunpoint.
5) Genai Coleman's killer received severe punishment
Ronald initially confessed to the crime but tried to pin it on his twin brother during the trial. However, the jury didn't buy it, and he was sentenced to life for the murder, in addition to 20 years for carjacking and five years for firearm possession.
He remains incarcerated in a prison cell at Wheeler Correctional Facility in Alamo, Georgia.
The upcoming episode of The Real Murders of Atlanta will cover this case in further detail.
