The Murder of Jonathan Cherol

 

It amazes me sometimes just how inept and careless some perpetrators can be, especially in this day and age. The idea of collecting fingerprints and being able to compare them came about in the late 1800's. The idea of DNA formed in the mid 1980's. The first conviction using DNA occurred in 1987 in the United Kingdom, that same year Tommie Lee Andrews was convicted in Florida using DNA, making his conviction the first in the United States. In between you have things like surveillance cameras, telephone records and a multitude of other things that can piece together a case. Some could argue, and maybe successfully, that not all of these things are completely reliable. For example, while the use of cell phone tower evidence has been used often it is often debated on whether that information can be completely accurate considering it cannot place a perpetrator in a particular area and it is theorized that a cell phone may not always bounce off the closest tower. Things like “bite mark evidence” and evidence of arson are sometimes called “junk science.” I would imagine however that there are few perpetrators who could consider all variables that could lead to their capture. I would also imagine that some of those who have not been caught may have simply been “lucky” to avoid a lot of these things. All of that being said, the murder of Jonathan Cherol was solved pretty quickly because as some would say, all the stars aligned themselves and led investigators to the capture of his killers.

On October 28, 2015, at just after one in the morning 911 operators in Bluffton South Carolina received a call from a man reporting that his friend, Jonathan Cherol had just been shot and presumably killed. In fact, the man stated that Jonathan had “half of his head blown off.” When law enforcement arrived they found Jonathan's body on a sofa on his back porch. He had been shot in the head while he had been sitting, apparently enjoying his evening with his friend. According to the friend they had been sitting outside Jonathan's home having a nice evening and enjoying a few drinks when two shots rang out. It was later determined that the first shot hit the home of one of Jonathan's neighbors; the second was a direct hit to him in the head.

Of course I am sure that Jonathan's friend was likely the first suspect in his murder but it appears that he was pretty much eliminated fairly quickly. Shell casings were found near the home and the friend had reported that a woman had come to the home earlier in the evening. According to the friend the woman had not come inside the home and Jonathan had met her at the front door. When Jonathan returned to talk to his friend it appears he did not tell him who the woman was but indicated that the woman had tried to kiss him and he had refused her advances.

Investigators wanted to know who this woman was and wondered if she had seen anything. They found surveillance camera footage. While my information was not specific it appears that the camera was likely one belonging to a neighbor of Jonathan's and was not necessarily stationary. The camera was not only able to show investigators the woman at Jonathan's door but also the car that she was driving. Investigators were able to zero in on the license plates of the car the woman was driving. They found that it was registered to a woman named Colette Collins. They also discovered that the same car had driven by twice around the time of the shooting.

Colette had met her husband, Sam, when the two lived in Georgia. Sam owned a landscaping business but at some point he obtained a leg injury that caused him to not be able to work and the business collapsed. It is unclear whether this occurred before or after the couple moved to the Bluffton area from Georgia. His injury had caused Colette to have to go back to work. It was said that she was a waitress at a country club and Sam was uncomfortable that she flirted to get tips. Now, as a former waitress I understand her actions at some level. When you waitress you have to have some sort of charisma and yes, sometimes this means flirting a bit. This is where you make your money. On another level I understand why Sam would be uncomfortable with this. It was said that it was a this country club that not only Colette, but Sam had met Jonathan Cherol. Some of my research indicated that both Colette and Sam were friends with Jonathan but I cannot completely confirm this.

Sam and Colette had a son together. In 2012 the couple had separated after Colette had an affair. It is unclear just how far it went in the legal system but it was said that Sam was given custody of their son. If a divorce was filed it was apparently stopped because the two reconciled. It was said that after the reconciliation Sam got involved with drugs, marijuana and pain medication specifically. It was said that he even began growing and dealing. He was caught and convicted of drug trafficking but apparently was given probation. Family and friends say this was a wake up call for Sam and that after going through recovery he had started his landscaping business back, or at least began working some, and was “devoted to his family.”

After investigators found that Colette had visited with Jonathan on the night of his murder they brought her in for questioning. They apparently brought Sam in also considering they discovered Colette was married and Jonathan's friend claimed that Jonathan told him the woman had tried to kiss him as well as the fact that they had seen the car back in the area at the time of the shooting. It is unclear just exactly how things went and how soon the evidence all came together so you may have to bear with me a bit. Presumably investigators showed Colette they had at least the footage of her being at Jonathan's home that night. It was indicated that initially she had attempted to deny being there but it is likely that sherestaurant had no choice but to admit it when shown the evidence. She denied attempting to kiss Jonathan and claimed that they discussed basically his future. Jonathan had been the co-owner of a restaurant that had just recently closed.

For Sam's part he claimed to know nothing and refused to let law enforcement search their home or their vehicles. Investigators wanted to search these things but without a good reason they could not. So it appears that they kept an eye on Sam. They were able to pull him over in a traffic stop for speeding and a broken taillight. Officers found marijuana on him and arrested him. They also found a shotgun shell, the same type found at the scene of the shooting. This gave them the right to first search the vehicle but also the ability to get a search warrant for his home. Inside they found an empty gun safe. But, this also gave them the ability to start digging deeper.

Investigators were able to check Sam's phone and they found a text message he sent to a friend not long after the shooting that said, “I didn't want to wake you. I put the gun in the back of your truck. It is wrapped in camo.” Investigators spoke to the friend who said he had loaned Sam the gun “for protection.” The friend turned the gun over to the investigators and it was first determined that Sam's fingerprints (and presumably, although I did not note so, DNA) was on the shotgun. It was next determined to have been the weapon that had killed Jonathan Cherol.

Initially both Colette and Sam were charged with first degree murder. It appears as more of the story came out and more likely prosecutors examined their case and determined what they could prove Colette's charges would be downgraded to “accessory after the fact.” Sam would go on trial first in October of 2017. After a two day trial and deliberations that lasted about an hour he was convicted of murder as well as the charge of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime.

The story that came out was that on the night of the shooting apparently Colette had gone out, whether it was alone or with friends it is unknown. She was out drinking and became intoxicated but apparently drove to Jonathan's home. It was never made clear what exactly happened at Jonathan's home, or whether anyone believed Colette's story as to why she went there but it was revealed at his trial that Sam believed Colette was having an affair with Jonathan. Given her past and their issues as a couple it is not necessarily unreasonable for him to think this. According to Sam, despite her intoxication he made her drive him to Jonathan's home. It is not clear how or even whether he knew she had been there just earlier. At any rate Colette would drive Sam to Jonathan's home and drop him off nearby. It appears that she circled the block awaiting his return since her car was seen on camera footage. Sam claims that he stood nearby, fired the two shots at Jonathan, then panicked and ran to the vehicle. It appears that on the way home they stopped by his friends house and left the shotgun and then made their way home. It was determined that the following morning Colette at least went to work as if nothing had happened.

While my information stated that Sam was sentenced to fifty years without parole, according to the Department of Corrections he was given a thirty-five year sentence for murder and an additional five year sentence for the use of a firearm. His projected release date is listed as being in October of 2050. I also want to note that the South Carolina DOC website is one that gives details on any discipline actions taken against inmates. Sam has had none, Colette has not been as good as you will see in a bit.

Like Sam, Colette's trial lasted two days. Sam testified at her trial as to his version of what happened. It is unclear what position she was taking other than to say she did not know that Sam was going to shoot, and/or kill Jonathan. I can only gander to guess that she used her intoxication as a defense of some sort. Her jury deliberated two and a half hours and in January of 2018 she was convicted and sentenced to serve fifteen years, the maximum sentence under the law for the charge. According to the Department of Corrections website she is eligible for parole in September of 2021 with an expected release date in October of 2025. It will be curious to see what will be determined in a few months considering that since 2019 Colette has been disciplined six times for infractions including drug use and sexual misconduct.