Daisy Coleman

Catherine Daisy Coleman (March 30, 1997 – August 4, 2020) was an American sexual abuse survivors advocate, actress and producer. Her experience of sexual assault at the age of 14 was featured in the 2016 documentary film Audrie & Daisy, for which she received a Cinema Eye Honor. Coleman co-founded the non-profit organization SafeBAE, which was aimed at preventing sexual assault in schools. She died by suicide at the age of 23.

Daisy Coleman
Born
Catherine Daisy Coleman

(1997-03-30)March 30, 1997
Albany, Missouri, US
DiedAugust 4, 2020(2020-08-04) (aged 23)
Cause of deathSuicide
Education Maryville High School
Alma materMissouri Valley College
OccupationActivist, tattoo artist
Home townMaryville, Missouri, US
AwardsCinema Eye Honor (2016)

Early life

Coleman was born to Melinda, a veterinarian[1] and Michael Coleman, a physician.[2]She had three brothers. In 2009, Michael, Daisy and one of her brothers was travelling in the car to watch another brothers in a wrestling competition when the car hit black ice and went into a ravine, killing her dad.[2][1][3] After his death, Coleman and the rest of the family moved to Maryville, Missouri.[2][1]

2012 sexual assault and investigation

In January 2012, Matthew Barnett, 17, was arrested for the rape and sexual assault of Coleman, a 14-year-old girl.[4] A 15-year-old boy was accused of doing the same to the girl's 13-year-old friend, and a third boy admitted to recording Barnett's alleged assault on a cellphone.[5][6] A significant controversy arose in 2013 when the county prosecutor dropped felony and misdemeanor charges against Barnett, grandson of influential former state representative Rex Barnett, and the Nodaway County prosecutor dropped the felony sexual exploitation charge against the third boy.[5][6][7][8]

Outrage in online communities including Anonymous soon followed when the story surrounding this case was revisited in October 2013.[9] Michael Schaffer, reporting on the incident for The New Republic, described Maryville, Missouri as a "lawless hellhole".[10] In 2014, a special prosecutor was put in charge to reinvestigate the case. Barnett pleaded guilty to misdemeanor second-degree endangerment of the welfare of a child for leaving her outside her house, and was sentenced by Missouri Circuit Court Judge Glen Dietrich to four months in jail that were suspended in favor of two years of probation.[5][11] Barnett was sentenced in juvenile court for the assault.[12]

Career and activism

Coleman and her older brother Charlie advocated nationwide for sexual assault survivors.[3] HuffPost named Coleman as one of the "13 most Fearless Teens of 2013".[13] Coleman's story was featured in the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy.[14] Coleman and Audrie Pott were recipients of a 2016 Cinema Eye Honor as "unforgettable" memorable non-fiction film subjects.[15][16] She attended Missouri Valley College.[17] She co-founded SafeBAE (Before Anyone Else), a non-profit organization aimed at ending sexual assaults in schools.[18] In June 2018, Coleman relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado and was working as a tattoo artist. She worked on a second film project titled Saving Daisy, focusing on her recovery process, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the use of CBD and EMDR therapy.[19][20]

Personal life and death

After the sexual assault, Coleman attempted suicide on multiple occasions.[21] Coleman became the target of daily bullying, prompting the family to move from Maryville to Albany, Missouri. Their homes had suspicious fire damage in Nodaway and Gentry counties. In June 2018, her younger brother Tristan died in a car accident at the age of 19.[3] She died by suicide on August 4, 2020.[22]

Documentary
Year Title Role Director Notes Ref.
2016 Audrie & Daisy Self (as Catherine Daisy Coleman) Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk
2019 Saving Daisy Self (as Catherine Daisy Coleman) Ella Fairon

References
  1. Wakeman, Jessica (September 23, 2016). "Life After Sexual Assault: Inside Harrowing Doc 'Audrie & Daisy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  2. Farrell, Paul (October 14, 2013). "Daisy Coleman, Bullied Teen Rape Victim: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  3. Montgomery, Rick (June 21, 2018). "Daisy Coleman loses brother in truck crash". The Kansas City Star. pp. A5. Retrieved August 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Kemp, Joe. "Missouri teen writes about allegedly being raped by grandson of politician and target in Maryville community". nydailynews.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  5. Von Drehle, David (January 9, 2014). "A Cold End to Maryville Sexual Assault Case". Time. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  6. Maggie CaldwellBio (October 15, 2013). "Anonymous Takes On the Maryville Rape Scandal. Is This a Good Thing?". Mother Jones. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  7. Arnett, Dugan (October 12, 2013). Nightmare in Maryville: Teens’ sexual encounter ignites a firestorm against family, The Kansas City Star
  8. "Why Was the Maryville Rape Case Dropped?". KCUR. July 11, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  9. David Von Drehle. Hackers Target Town After Dropped Sexual-Assault Case, Time, October 14, 2013
  10. Michael Schaffer (October 23, 2013). "Maryville, Missouri Is a Lawless Hellhole". The New Republic. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  11. "'The case is closed': No rape charges in Maryville, Mo., case". Latimes.com. Retrieved July 5, 2016.; "Maryville, Mo., Sexual Assault Case Comes to an End". ABC News. January 10, 2014.
  12. Green, Treye (October 19, 2013). "Who Is Matthew Barnett? 7 Facts to Know About the Accused Maryville Rapist". International Business Times.
  13. "The 13 Most Fearless Teens Of 2013". HuffPost. December 26, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  14. "Subject of 'Audrie & Daisy' Documentary Dies by Suicide". The New York Times. August 5, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  15. Bernstein, Paula (October 19, 2016). "The Year's Most Unforgettable Documentary Subjects". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  16. "10th Annual Cinema Eye Honors Announces THE UNFORGETTABLES". October 18, 2016.
  17. "Daisy Coleman, star of Netflix documentary 'Audrie & Daisy,' dies by suicide at 23". NBC News. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  18. "US abuse survivor in Netflix film dies by suicide". BBC News. August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  19. Preston, Devon (April 12, 2019). "An Exclusive with Daisy Coleman, from "Audrie & Daisy"". Inked Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  20. Preston, Devon (January 16, 2019). "Colorado Tattoo Artist Embarks on Innovative Therapy Journey Following One of the Most Publicized Sexual Assault Cases in American History". Inked Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  21. Diaz, Joseph J.; Efferon, Lauren; Valiente, Alexa; Smith, Jenner (January 10, 2014). "Maryville Teen Daisy Coleman's Mother, Brother Reveal Her Reaction to Accused Rapist's Misdemeanor Plea". ABC News. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  22. Dickson, E. J. (August 5, 2020). "Daisy Coleman of 'Audrie and Daisy' Dead by Suicide at 23". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 5, 2020.; "Daisy Coleman from Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy dies aged 23". The Independent. August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
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