A bright young leader with a kind heart, Morehouse College student Kyle Coleman had a promising future.
So when his parents, Keith and Cimmerian Coleman, woke up June 7 and realized their son had not come home after hanging out with friends the previous evening in Virginia, they reported their 19-year-old missing.
Four days later, as family and friends gathered for a prayer vigil at his former high school, Kyle’s body was discovered.
“He was a wonderful kid, like a joy. Really didn’t give us any problems,” Kyle’s mother, Cimmerian Coleman, told reporters a few hours before the family received the devastating news. “Just very well-liked, well-liked in the community, just very easy going. He was driven in terms of his leadership abilities, his academic abilities.”
According to a statement, the underwater search and recovery unit for the Fairfax County Police Department located Kyle’s body submerged in a nearby retention pond surrounded by thick brush.
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Confirmation of the student’s mysterious death left a grieving family and community questioning — how did Kyle Coleman die?
Investigation timeline
June 6: An emergency call was reportedly received by Fairfax County 911 around 11:20 p.m. from Kyle Coleman’s iPhone. The dispatcher said the call came from a crash alert feature on his cellphone, not from Kyle himself.
The dispatcher reportedly said screaming could be heard in the background during the call. When emergency responders arrived, Kyle was not with the vehicle.
Surveillance video of the crash site viewed by Fairfax County police showed Kyle’s Toyota Yaris crossing lanes of traffic and then leaving the roadway, striking a tree.
Witnesses at the scene initially reported that a person was seen fleeing from the vehicle and possibly left the scene in another vehicle soon after the crash.
“Officers searched the vehicle and the surrounding area and did not locate any occupants involved in the crash or any evidence of foul play,” the FCPD said in a statement. “The Fire and Rescue Department utilized thermal imaging technology in the area for any involved persons, which yielded no results.”
June 7: Kyle’s parents filed a missing person’s report with the Prince William County Police Department and tracked his car to a tow yard and discovered his cellphone still inside the vehicle.
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June 8: After reviewing a video depicting the college student before the crash, the case was upgraded to Critically Endangered Missing.
June 9: FCPD detectives linked the June 6 crash to the missing person’s case and contacted Prince William police to assist in the investigation.
June 10: Hundreds of friends and family members gathered for a prayer vigil at Battlefield High School. During the gathering, Kyle’s body was found in a shallow pond a few feet from the site of the crash.
Questions remained for many as Fairfax County police and the medical examiner began their probe into the cause of Kyle’s death.
Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump took to Instagram Sunday calling for answers. “Kyle Coleman, a 19-year-old Morehouse student, was found dead days after a mysterious car crash in Virginia,” Crump wrote to his 800,000 followers. “A leader, scholar, and joy to those who knew him — his loss is deeply felt. His family deserves answers. Rest in Power, Kyle Coleman.”
As the investigation continues, Fairfax authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at (703) 256-8035.
Who was Kyle Coleman
Last seen wearing a Morehouse College jacket, the rising sophomore from Gainesville, Virginia, had already made a name for himself at the storied HBCU in Atlanta.
Kyle was majoring in business administration with a finance concentration. According to a post from Morehouse on Instagram, Kyle was involved in several campus organizations, including the Morehouse Business Association, LightHouse, the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Certificate Program, and the Consultants Club.
The college also noted he enjoyed playing pickleball, basketball, and tennis with friends. He was also learning to play guitar and enjoyed spending quality time with his two older siblings, Christopher and Kayla.
While attending Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Virginia, Kyle juggled classes while serving as teen president of his Jack and Jill of America chapter.
According to a GoFundMe page, launched by the Coleman Family for funeral expenses, “Kyle’s kindness, leadership, and joyful spirit touched everyone around him.”
An HBCU community grieves
Kyle’s death marked another challenging chapter for Morehouse College, as the institution has endured several tragedies in recent years.
Late last year, the all-male college lost two promising students to suicide within the same week. One of the young men, Adrian Dukes II, was scheduled to graduate this year.
In 2023, two students, Christion Files Jr. and Hugh Douglas Jr., lost their lives in a car accident. Both were scheduled to graduate this year.
Hugh Douglas Sr. mourned the passing of his son on social media, writing, “You were already a better man than me.”
Last week, the college issued a statement about the latest tragedy to befall the school, posting on Instagram: “Our entire Morehouse family grieves this unimaginable loss. Kyle was known for his warmth, humility, and peaceful spirit. We ask that you keep his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this heartbreaking loss.”
The post was flooded with supportive comments from fellow students, family and friends.
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A comment from Morehouse’s AUC sister school Spelman College read: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our Morehouse brother. Our hearts and prayers are with the Morehouse College community and the family during this difficult time.”
In its post, Morehouse also encouraged any students needing support to contact the college’s Counseling Services team.
Follow Capital B Atlanta for more updates as we follow this developing story.
