Ryan E. Coles beat his mother and father to death in 2016.
in the killings of Edward M. Coles Jr., 58, and Rosemarie Coles, 55, in their West Deptford home on Aug. 25, 2016.
The evidence, however, showed that the defendant suffered no significant injuries, while his parents were ferociously beaten and died of blunt force head trauma. The defense pointed to records going back to his childhood as proof that Coles suffered from “a mental disease or defect throughout his life.”The prosecution expert, Dr. Steven Simring, determined that Coles suffered from an unspecified personality disorder and substance use disorder, concluding that marijuana use played a large role in his mental state at the time of the killing.
The incident began in the parents’ bedroom and continued downstairs, ending in the foyer. Coles used pieces of a broken wooden chair and a heart-shaped glass bowl to beat the victims, according to testimony. He also tried to choke his father with a phone cord.The defendant’s grandfather, after not being able to contact his son, came to the house the following morning, where his grandson directed him to the bodies in the foyer.
The judge pointed to testimony regarding Coles’ decision to lock the door and his supposed mental state at that moment.