Santa Barbara father accused of killing children puts mental health and conspiracy beliefs in spotlight
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A Santa Barbara father is accused of killing his children 250 miles away in Rosarito, Mexico.
Investigators from Mexico and the United States believe Matthew Taylor Coleman drove to Mexico with his infant and toddler and killed them with a speargun before heading home.
After his arrest at the border he spoke to Federal Investigators who said he told them he was "enlightened" by QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories. They said he believed his wife had "serpent DNA" that she passed to their children who he thought were becoming monsters.
Coleman, who had a master's degree from UCSB, owned and operated the Lovewater Surf School and can be seen in photos with his wife and children on the company's website.
UCSB professor Tamsin German teaches a class in the psychology of conspiracy and said research suggests conspiracy thinking itself is quite common. But what happened in this case is not.
"Conspiracy theories such as QAnon exploit our mind's natural tendencies to seek patterns and draw connections in order to help us explain a complex and uncertain world. Extreme consequences of conspiracy thinking are quite rare, however, and that suggests in this tragic case there may be other contributing factors that have yet to emerge," said German.
German is currently researching how minds try to guard against misinformation.
Coleman also told investigators he was seeing visions and signs.
Suzanne Grimmesey from the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Department said, "If we see someone who is in need of help or support, or we feel like we need it, reach out to get help or help people get connected."
Grimmesey said community members who are saddened by the loss of innocent lives may never find the answers they are looking for following this tragedy.
She said people can help survivors by de-stigmitizing mental illness.
The 24-Hour Crisis Response and Service Access line is 888-868-1649.