'Going to haunt her': Mum traumatised after husband kills kids with speargun

The wife of a surfing instructor, whose two children were killed by her husband with a spearfishing gun, remains "in shock" over the tragedy.

Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, abruptly left the family home in Santa Barbara, California, on August 7, with his two-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter, neglecting to tell his wife Abby Coleman where they were going.

According to a criminal complaint filed in the Los Angeles federal court, police allege that Mr Coleman drove his children to Mexico, taking them to a ranch two days later where he killed them with a spearfishing gun.

A photo of a woman and man smiling with a toddler and baby in front of the beach and beautiful sunset.
According to a criminal complaint, Mr Coleman thought his children were 'monsters'. Source: Instagram

He then returned to his hotel a few hours later and was arrested when he attempted to cross the border back into the United States.

The family had been preparing for a camping trip before Mr Coleman left. The mum reported the trio as missing the day after they left, and gave police permission to use the ‘find my iPhone’ feature on her husband's mobile to locate him.

'No clue' of what he was capable of

Ms Coleman, 35, told authorities that she and her husband had not been arguing and that there was no marital strife, according to an FBI criminal complaint obtained by People.

She said when her husband initially left with the children, she didn't believe that her family was in any danger and that she believed her husband would eventually return home with the children.

A family friend told People the grieving mother had "no clue" what her husband was capable of.

A smiling woman and man in front of a wooden door.
According to a family friend, Abby Coleman had "no clue" what her husband was capable of. Source: Instagram

"So now she's wondering what she could have done to stop it," said the friend, who has reportedly known the family for several years. "Those questions are going to haunt her."

"If she had any idea that he was believing all this, she would've helped him get help," they continued. "But she didn't know. And now the worst has happened."

Paranoia linked to QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories

The FBI arrested Mr Coleman when he tried to re-enter the US, where he allegedly confessed to killing his kids.

According to the criminal complaint “Coleman stated that he believed his children were going to grow into monsters so he had to kill them".

The dad allegedly told police he killed the kids with a spearfishing gun before moving their bodies into bushland.

A man wearing a red beanie holding a newborn baby looking up at the camera.
Matthew Coleman with his daughter Roxy. Source: Instagram

CCTV footage from the hotel showed Mr Coleman leaving at 2:54am local time with his children and returning at 6:30am without them, ABC News reports.

Coleman allegedly told police he was motivated by QAnon conspiracy theories.

“Coleman explained that he was enlightened by QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories and was receiving visions and signs revealing that his wife possessed serpent DNA and had passed it onto his children,” the complaint said. “[He] said that he was saving the world from monsters.”

QAnon is a disproven far-right conspiracy theory alleging that a group of cannibalistic paedophiles are running a global child sex trafficking ring and raging a war against former US President Donald Trump.

The Illuminati conspiracy is the belief there is a "global elite" society controlling the world.

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