A 19-year-old Knoxville man is facing serious charges after authorities say he violently assaulted a man, poured bleach on him, and kidnapped the man’s 3-year-old daughter, according to court documents.
Charles Coffman has been charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, theft, and tampering with evidence.
According to warrants, police were called to a home on Mercer Street around 8:45 a.m. Sunday for a welfare check after someone reported concerns that Coffman had possibly killed a man and abducted his young child.
When officers arrived, they forced their way into the residence and found a man in the bathroom—naked, severely injured, and with a strong odor of bleach present. The child was missing, and the victim’s vehicle had also been stolen, prompting police to issue a BOLO (Be On the Lookout).
Not long after, police in Sevierville located the stolen vehicle and detained Coffman, a woman, and the missing child. The child was taken to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for evaluation.
The victim was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma and other serious injuries. Due to his condition, police have not yet been able to interview him.
Coffman allegedly told police that his mother, who is currently in jail, called him and told him to retrieve the child from the Mercer Street home. He said he and the woman took an Uber to the house, where he got into a physical altercation with the man.
According to the warrants, Coffman admitted to slamming the victim to the ground, punching him repeatedly in the face, striking him with a toilet plunger, and then stuffing the plunger into the victim’s mouth. He also reportedly confessed to dragging the victim into the bathroom, removing his clothes, and pouring bleach onto his wounds. Coffman further admitted to taking the man’s vehicle, though he claimed his mother had given him permission.
However, police spoke with Coffman’s mother, who denied speaking to her son and stated that she had not and would not authorize him to take custody of the child or the vehicle. Authorities confirmed that legal guardianship of the child belongs to both the victim and Coffman’s mother.
The woman who was with Coffman told police she entered the Mercer Street home and saw the victim lying on the floor. Coffman handed her the child, and the three left in the stolen SUV. She also said she overheard Coffman on the phone saying he thought he may have killed the man and wasn’t sure if he was still alive.
Coffman was asked by police to write an apology letter to the victim, which he did, according to the documents.
He remains in the Knox County Jail. As of Tuesday afternoon, no bond had been set.
