Man Suspected His Wife of Cheating, Confronted Her — What He Did Minutes Later Shocked Everyone

Joshua Coleman, a 30-year-old man from the quiet rural town of Ridgeway, Virginia, is at the center of a heartbreaking and violent tragedy that has shocked his small community and left two families devastated. According to a criminal complaint, Coleman admitted to shooting and killing his 22-year-old wife, Mandy Coleman, during a heated argument inside their home. The fight reportedly escalated when Joshua accused Mandy of being unfaithful. In a moment of rage, he pulled out a gun and shot her in the head, ending her life inside the home they shared with their two young children.

After killing his wife, Joshua didn’t stop there. The court documents state that he told authorities he then went looking for another man—68-year-old William Morey. Joshua allegedly said that since he knew he was going to jail anyway, he decided to go after Morey as well. The complaint doesn’t make it clear what kind of relationship, if any, Morey had with Joshua or Mandy, but Joshua clearly believed he had a reason to target him. At first, Joshua couldn’t find Morey. But then he returned to his own home and found Morey outside, apparently coming by to check on Mandy. That’s when Joshua shot him, too, leaving his body riddled with bullets in the street.

Police officers were led to the scene after discovering Morey’s body and quickly found Mandy’s body inside the house. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office said they immediately identified Joshua as the prime suspect and became concerned for the couple’s two young children, who were missing at the time. Authorities launched a rapid and coordinated search to find both the suspect and the children, fearing the worst.

Joshua was eventually stopped by deputies during a traffic stop. He was heavily armed, carrying both a handgun and an AR-15 rifle. The two small children were found inside his vehicle, safe and physically unharmed, though the emotional toll of witnessing or being near such violence remains unknown. Their safety brought some small relief in an otherwise horrific situation.

In his confession, Joshua admitted to shooting Mandy in the head during the fight, repeating that he had accused her of cheating. He also confessed to killing Morey, though he did not explain clearly why he felt the need to target the older man. Investigators have not publicly confirmed any details about Morey’s connection to either Joshua or Mandy.

Joshua is now facing two charges of first-degree murder, as well as a charge of child abuse. He is being held without bond at the Henry County Adult Detention Center, as the investigation continues.

This tragedy has shaken Ridgeway, a small town of only about 750 people located just north of the North Carolina border. In a place where everyone knows each other, the shock of such violence runs deep. Sheriff Wayne Davis spoke on behalf of the community, saying that this was a deeply painful and tragic situation. He expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and acknowledged how much pain and trauma had been caused. The sheriff emphasized that the entire community was feeling the weight of what happened.

Now, two families are left grieving the loss of loved ones. Two children have lost both parents in the span of one violent day—one to death, and the other to a jail cell. The emotional damage done will likely last a lifetime. The case is also a grim reminder of how domestic disputes can escalate into deadly violence, and how quickly lives can be destroyed when anger turns into irreversible action.