Teen Beats Man With Plunger, Kidnaps His 3-Year-Old
In a quiet Knoxville neighborhood, police were called to conduct a routine welfare check. What they discovered behind the front door was anything but routine — a man, naked and seriously injured, reportedly beaten with a toilet plunger and doused in bleach. But what investigators say happened next took the disturbing story to another level.
The Early Morning Call
Officers arrived at a residence on Mercer Street around 8:45 a.m. on a Sunday after receiving a concerning tip — someone feared a man may have been murdered and a child abducted.
Upon forcing entry, police discovered a man in the bathroom, unconscious and naked, with a strong odor of bleach in the air. The man had suffered serious head trauma, including a subdural hematoma, and was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Also missing from the home were the man's 3-year-old child and a Ford Expedition.
Suspect Identified
Police soon identified 19-year-old Charles Coffman as a suspect. Coffman told officers he had traveled to the victim's home at the request of his mother — who was incarcerated at the time — to pick up the child via Uber.
However, the police report later stated that Coffman's mother denied ever speaking to him or giving him permission to pick up the child.
She also denied giving permission for Coffman to take the vehicle. The report identified the child's guardians as the victim and Coffman's mother.
During questioning, Coffman allegedly admitted to slamming the victim to the ground, punching him multiple times, beating him with a toilet plunger, and forcing the plunger into the man's mouth.
He then dragged the man into the bathroom, stripped him, and poured bleach on his wounds.
The Woman, the Child, and the Car
A BOLO (Be On the Look Out) alert was issued for the missing child and vehicle. Not long after, Sevierville police stopped the car and found Coffman, a woman, and the 3-year-old child inside.
The child was taken to East Tennessee Children's Hospital for medical evaluation.
The woman later told police she walked into the Mercer Street home and saw the victim lying on the floor. She said Coffman handed her the child and they left in the Ford Expedition. She also claimed to have overheard Coffman on a call stating that he thought he had killed the man and wasn't sure if he was alive or dead.
Charges Filed, Investigation Ongoing
Coffman was charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, theft, and tampering with evidence. He remains in the Knox County Jail with no bond set as of Tuesday afternoon.
At the request of police, Coffman reportedly wrote an apology letter to the victim.
References: Man Was Found Naked and Beaten with a Plunger — What Police Say Happened Next Is Even Worse | Warrants: 19-year-old beat man, stuffed a plunger in his mouth and poured bleach on him before kidnapping child | 19-year-old beats man with plunger, covers him in bleach then kidnaps his child, police report says
