'Daisy Doe' Case Is One Of A Kind In Cherokee County

Investigators finally have a name connected to a 27-year-old Cherokee County cold case. They searched for years for the identity of Daisy Doe, and now that they have it, they also have more questions than answers.

We wanted to learn more about the woman known for so long, only as Daisy Doe, the woman found dead in a river near Fort Gibson in the late 80s.

Tahlequah investigators said the case of Daisy Doe has been the only one of its kind in Cherokee County and that the more they find out, the more twisted the story becomes.

“You know, our goal was always to get her identified and, you know, at the time that seemed like it was going to be an impossible task, but now that we have her identified it almost seems even harder because we're trying to go back 27 years in time," said Undersheriff Jason Chennault.

Daisy Doe's case has consumed Cherokee County investigators since 1988, when her body was found floating in the Neosho River south of the Fort Gibson Dam.

It was the career project of retired Undersheriff Jack Goss who was the original investigator on the case. In 2003 the investigation was passed down to current Undersheriff, Chennault.

Now, thanks to an accidental find, Daisy Doe has a name and a face.

3/13/2015 Related Story: Cherokee County Investigators Identify Woman Murdered In 1988

“Over the last couple of months we've been preparing to do a cold case presentation on Daisy Doe to a group of cold case investigators in Oklahoma City and we've been reviewing all our old evidence and the ME's office realized they had her hands," said Chennault.

Fingerprints identified her as Jeannette Ellen Coleman. She was arrested in 1979 in Muskogee County with her then husband, Charles Troy Coleman, a wanted murderer.

“I'm calling him a serial killer. He's killed four people that we know of. You know, one just seemed like meanness out in California, two during a burglary and he killed one to steal his vehicle and there may be more out there that we don't know,” Chennault said.

Before Jeannette's death, they believe she helped her husband kill her father in California and then covered up the crime.

The charges were eventually dropped before they moved to Oklahoma where he was arrested for killing a couple during a robbery.

Family never reported her missing and lost touch long before she was found dead.

Chennault said the case has now gotten harder; they may know who she is but can't track her steps, putting them no closer to finding her killer.

“It's like chasing a ghost right now,” Chennault said.

Investigators are asking that anyone who may have known Jeanette Coleman to contact them.