Coleman refuses visit from Joyce Meyer Ministries

WATERLOO -- A southwestern Illinois man accused of killing his wife and sons has refused a jail visit by a former coworker at an international ministry.

Monroe County Jail records show Christopher Coleman turned away Michael Shepard in September. Shepard is leadership training coordinator for Missouri-based Joyce Meyer Ministries.

Shepard's lawyer says his client and Coleman were friends before the murders and that Shepard tried to visit in a personal capacity.

Coleman has allowed visits from ministers who are affiliated with the church where his father is pastor.

Coleman has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges in the May deaths of his wife, Sheri Coleman, and their two sons, ages 11 and 9. Their bodies were found in the family's Columbia home.