Matthew Taylor Coleman, owner of a California surf school accused of killing his 2-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter, reportedly told FBI investigators he believed they had "DNA from snake ”.
According to the investigation documents, Coleman followed QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories and believed that killing his children "was the only action that would save the world."
The deaths of the two young children and the alleged involvement of their father raise concerns about the growing popularity of conspiracy theory and belief groups they espouse.
Understanding the puzzling details of the theories being held by Coleman won't explain or rationalize his alleged crimes, but it may provide insight into his dangerous beliefs.
What is "snake DNA"?
Coleman's belief about snake DNA may be tied to a "lizard people" conspiracy theory that wrapped up in QAnon and Illuminati theories - though it predates these groups by decades.
The theories are unrelated to Jeremy Narby's 1998 book “The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge” which studies the links between shamanism and molecular biology.
The lizard-people conspiracy theory was popularized in 1998.
Contemporary beliefs in reptilian humanoids are primarily linked to David Icke, a British conspiracy theorist who published the 1998 conspiracy book titled 'The Biggest Secret'.
In the book, Icke alleged that the blood-drinking reptilians of extraterrestrial origin have controlled the world for centuries, as they have interconnected bloodlines that allow them to wield this power. The book also suggests that these lizard people are the origins of the Illuminati - a largely fictional group that some say controls the world.
Icke's reptilian theories are widely regarded as anti-Semitic, as they point to centuries-old blood libel accusing Jews of drinking the blood of Christian children. He denied that this was true.
In the years since Icke's book, the theory spread. According to a 2013 poll, 4% of those polled, or about 12 million Americans, believed that "lizards control politics."
The theory of the lizard people has been taken up by the followers of QAnon.
While QAnon has continued to gain traction since its inception in 2017, so has the Lizard People Theory.
The QAnon Conspiracies and Lizardman Conspiracies believe the world is controlled by "evil elites who drink blood and are responsible for all the evil in the world."
Coleman's alleged crimes echo those of Anthony Warner who blew up a motorhome in Nashville in December 2020, in a suicide bombing that injured several passers-by.
According to WTVF, Warner's death came shortly after he sent packages to his friends containing letters alleging lizards controlled the world, including several typed pages on conspiracy theories.
The snake DNA theory comes from the QAnon universe, which believes that elites - or any powerful democrat, celebrity, businessman - consume an imaginary drug called "adrenochrome," which is believed to be produced from 'children when they are afraid.
They believe that these “reptilians” feed on their emotions and explain the evil that has befallen them and the world.
The theories of the lizard people can also be biblical references.
The idea that the serpent is evil is also a centuries old idea, as the serpent is commonly known as a symbol of evil in mythology and the Old Testament.
The word serpent is derived from the Latin word "serpens", which is a crawling animal or serpent. The serpent is also known in the Old Testament story of Adam and Eve. The serpent or serpent represents evil and is equated with the devil, because it tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
Neighbors of Colemans' family told reporters they were shocked and believed Coleman seemed like a good family man. Unfortunately, even the least suspicious of people can fall into the downward spiral of the QAnon conspiracies.
Megan Hatch is a writer at YourTango who covers pop culture, love and relationships, and self-care.
