Shannon Price and the death of Gary Coleman
Lie Detector: Truth or DeceptionThe death of the beloved former child star Gary Coleman shook the world in May 2010. Coleman passed away at the age of just 42 after being admitted to hospital following a fall at his home, resulting in an intracranial haemorrhage.
At the time of his fall, Coleman’s ex-wife, Shannon Price, was present in their home. Despite being divorced, the two still lived together. Price found him and was the one who made the 911 call. Two days after he was taken to the hospital, it was Price who decided to take Coleman off life support.
Although his death was ruled an accident, there has been much speculation surrounding Price and her involvement. This has become even more significant since she has agreed to appear on the Crime+Investigation show Lie Detector: Truth or Deception.
Here we dive deeper into the death of Gary Coleman and the allegations against his ex-wife, Shannon Price.
Gary Coleman’s life and health issues
Gary Coleman was a child star whose most notable work was in the American sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, which ran from 1978 to 1985. He is often considered one of the most influential child stars of all time, receiving multiple awards for his work in Diff’rent Strokes.
Coleman had several health issues, having had three unsuccessful kidney transplants, leading to dialysis. He also had heart surgery in 2009 and mental health issues which led to a suicide attempt. Coleman also experienced seizures, and it is thought that a seizure may have been the cause of his fall.
Gary Coleman and Shannon Price
Shannon Price was an aspiring actress when she met Gary Coleman in 2007, when Coleman was 37 and Price was 22. The two were married the same year, but they would not remain together for long, divorcing a year later in 2008.
Their relationship was fraught with strife, with verbal and physical altercations a common occurrence. This was so severe that Coleman was able to get a restraining order against Price, but he did not serve it on her.
The two lived together in the same home after divorcing, hence why Price was present when Coleman fell down the stairs.
The death of Gary Coleman
On the day of his fall, 26th May 2010, Price claims that she was feeling unwell. She sent Coleman to make her some food, but heard a thump and ran to see what had happened. She reported that she saw Coleman at the bottom of the stairs in a pool of blood.
Believing him to have had a seizure, Price called 911. However, she did not initially follow the instructions given to her by the operator. Price refused to apply pressure to Coleman’s head wounds due to feeling sick and not wanting to get more blood on herself. She also did not accompany him to the hospital.
Two days later, Price decided to take Coleman off life support when his condition worsened. However, documentation later showed that Coleman had asked for two weeks of care to be given before the decision to remove his life support was made.
Shannon Price and 'Lie Detector: Truth or Deception'
The opening episode of Lie Detector: Truth or Deception focuses on Shannon Price and her role in Coleman’s fall and ultimate death.
George Olivo – an ex-FBI agent and expert polygraph examiner – asked Price several questions surrounding Coleman’s death. When asked if she had intentionally not helped Coleman when he fell, she answered no, and the result was inconclusive. This was also the case when asked if she had ever hit Coleman.
However, when she was asked if she had caused Coleman to fall physically, Price answered no, and the result was 'failed, with deception indicated'. It’s important to note that the police found nothing suspicious regarding Coleman’s death. However, there is no doubt that the lie detector results could lead to further investigation.
Coleman was a beloved actor who didn't have the easiest time in his life. Fans have continued to urge for the case to be reopened and investigated further to determine whether every possible effort was made to prevent his death.
You can check out Shannon Price’s episode of Lie Detector: Truth or Deception over on Crime+Investigation on Wednesday, 27th August. Want to stay up to date with all our latest true crime content and receive more stories like this? Sign up to our newsletter today.
