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Evidence lacking, defense says

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By TODD LESKANIC

tleskanic@tampatrib.com

Published: November 5, 2009

DADE CITY - Sylvia Grant testified her then-husband, Joseph Coleman, burst into her house, beat her with a gun and shot her in the neck.

But in his cross-examination of witnesses Wednesday, defense attorney Chris Carver asked an important question: Where's the evidence?

Coleman, 56, is on trial this week on kidnapping and attempted murder charges in the May 2006 shooting of Grant. He faces life in prison if the jury finds him guilty as charged. Closing arguments will begin this morning and deliberations will follow.

In his questioning, Carver brought out the fact that investigators never recovered a weapon and depended heavily on Grant's words to tie Coleman to the crime. He also questioned why investigators didn't test a shoeprint found inside Grant's house.

Grant, 36, testified Tuesday that Coleman's jealousy drove him to the attack inside her Stewart Road home. The two had separated but were still legally married at the time and Coleman apparently thought Grant had started seeing someone else. The couple has since divorced.

Grant said Coleman put her into her van after the shooting and drove north on U.S. 301 before turning west on Trilby Road, away from the nearest fire station.

Grant, who had begged Coleman to take her to the station for treatment, testified that Coleman told her he planned to drive around until she died. Instead, she jumped from the van and ran across U.S. 301 to get help. A surveillance video taken from a car dealership nearby recorded the scene.

Grant ran out of steam in front of a telephone company building near the fire station. An employee saw her and drove her to the station, where she was treated and then flown to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.

Reporter Todd Leskanic can be reached at (813) 731-8098.

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