The Truth Behind The William Douglas Coker Murder Case

William Douglas Coker Homicide took place in March 2012. 

The TV show “See No Evil: Silent Witness” broadcasted on Investigation Discovery recently recounts the story of how 67-year-old William Douglas Coker was murdered in Macon, Georgia, in March 2012. 

The detectives put in considerable effort to crack the William Douglas Coker homicide case shortly after discovering the body.

The episode showcased interviews with the victim’s wife and the detectives involved in the case, offering a detailed account of how the assailant was captured.

The particulars of the homicide case 

William Douglas Coker Sr., also known as Doug, was born in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, on August 4, 1944. 

He attended Southwest DeKalb High School and DeKalb Tech for his education. Doug had a modest beginning but worked diligently and became a successful entrepreneur. 

However, on March 13, 2012, a dreadful incident occurred. Doug, who was 67 years old at the time, went missing while running errands and attending a business meeting. 

His family promptly reported his disappearance to the authorities. On March 18, 2012, five days later, they discovered his body in a house in the River North community near Old Ridge Road.

When the detectives removed the tarp, they found the body of a white man resembling Doug and dressed in the same attire. 

The remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, particularly the head, which displayed signs of an injury. Forensic experts conducted blood tests to confirm that it was Doug’s body. 

Subsequently, the autopsy report unveiled that he perished from a blow to the head with a blunt object. Inside the house, the investigators also unearthed the murder weapon, a hammer stained with blood.

Who is the William Douglas perpetrator? 

In the afternoon of March 13, 2012, Doug’s nephew, Jim, visited the Henry County Sheriff’s Office to file a missing person report for his 67-year-old uncle. 

Furthermore, he elaborated that his aunt and the family had been unable to reach Doug for several hours, which was unusual. 

The officers then conversed with Doug’s wife, Judy, who disclosed that she had last seen her husband in the morning when he departed for errands and a business meeting.

However, she was unaware of the person he was meeting. Due to Doug’s age and the circumstances, law enforcement took the matter seriously.

As per Judy, Doug and herself had been contemplating methods to leave a legacy that could benefit the community. 

Former Prosecutor Keagan Waystack mentioned that Doug had intended to utilize his 40 properties to establish a nonprofit organization to offer residences to homeless individuals. 

According to Judy’s account, Doug met with an associate. Nevertheless, she started worrying when he did not respond to her calls since late morning.

Judy mentioned that she reached out to Doug’s close business associates, friends, and family, but no one had heard from him. 

Subsequently, she got in touch with the state patrol and hospitals, concerned that there might have been a medical emergency. 

Judy informed the officers that she received a call from Doug’s phone around 2:30 pm, but there was no sound on the other end. 

The police carried out searches of Doug’s various rental properties, tracked his phone’s location, and scrutinized his call logs.

According to sources, Doug’s cell phone records indicated that his last known location was a McDonald’s in Macon. 

Surveillance footage from the eatery depicted him purchasing a cup of coffee and receiving a phone call at 11:05 am. The call was traced back to Pamela Moss from Rome, Georgia. 

Upon contacting Pamela, she disclosed that she had encountered Doug at a business event in Atlanta and was aiding him with his charitable work. 

She conveyed that she and Doug had arranged to meet at the McDonald’s on the morning of March 13.

However, Pamela explained that she telephoned Doug to notify him that she would be delayed. She affirmed that they eventually met in the parking lot. 

Prior to meeting with Pamela, the police conducted a background check on her and uncovered a criminal record. 

Legal documents divulged that she had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in November 1997 in connection with her mother’s demise in 1996. 

She was also a suspect in the death of her former husband, Gene Moss, in October 2011.

When Pamela evaded furnishing a formal statement, investigators proceeded to her residence on March 18.

Upon entering the home, they detected a pungent odor of natural gas combined with the smell of decomposing flesh.

Inside the house, they found Doug’s body, the murder weapon, and a plastic container containing bloodied tarps, gloves, plastic trash bags, and a fragment of bone. 

Firefighters determined that Pamela had left the fireplace starter on to fill the house with gas and had deposited lit matches in the sink, hoping for an explosion to destroy the evidence. 

Where is the William Douglas perpetrator now? 

On March 19, Carolyn Holland, Pamela’s half-sister, summoned emergency services from her Wayne County, Georgia residence.

She reported that Pamela had attempted suicide by overdosing on drugs. 

Following that, Pamela survived the incident but was subsequently charged with felony murder on March 20.

Investigators gained access to email correspondence between Pamela and Doug to unravel the motive behind the murder. 

As per Keagan Waystack, Doug had entrusted Pamela with $85,000 to aid him in establishing his nonprofit organization. However, she had yet to fulfill her part of the agreement.

Keagan further expounded, “Doug had notified Pamela that she needed to either return the $85,000 or he would involve law enforcement. 

Pamela was determined to evade returning to prison and was prepared to take measures to guarantee his silence.

In June 2012, a jury indicted Pamela, and during the trial, her defense entered a plea of not guilty citing insanity. 

However, she was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the chance of parole in August 2013.

At present, at 65 years old, she is serving her sentence at Pulaski State Prison.