Arrest in Diane Coates death
OXFORD WEEKLY PLANET
Saturday, February 15
Suspect arrested in murder of Ole Miss employee
Husband implicated by evidence, actions
The Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department arrested Rupert Coates today in connection with the death of his wife, Diane.
Coates, 46, was taken into custody at the sheriff's department after speaking with detectives. He was charged with murder and is being held at the Yoknapatawpha County Jail without bond, according to YCSD spokeswoman Elizabeth Jones.
Diane Coates, 47, collapsed last Saturday evening during the opening reception of the Barksdale Literature Conference hosted by the University of Mississippi. She was pronounced dead later that night at Baptist Memorial Hospital.
Marital problems were the likely motive for the crime, said Johnson, citing interviews with several witnesses who alleged Diane Coates was openly involved in an extramarital affair.
"Diane and her husband were practically estranged," said Charlotte Leggett, Diane Coates' co-worker in the Division of Outreach & Continuing Education at the University of Mississippi. "It was common knowledge for pretty much everyone. She didn't exactly keep it a secret."
At a press conference to announce the arrest, Jones called the case against Rupert Coates solid. "Both physical and testimonial evidence implicate Mr. Coates in the death of his wife."
Jones refused to address allegations that Diane Coates had engaged in financial improprieties in her position at the university, saying she could not comment on an ongoing investigation.
Rupert Coates is awaiting arraignment, where he will enter a plea of not guilty, according to his attorney, Stuart Hellerton.
"When all the facts are known, Mr. Coates will be vindicated in this matter," Hellerton told reporters.
Diane Coates's parents, Fred and Iris Crenshaw, were reached by phone at their home in Nashville, Tennessee. They said they were grateful to learn what had happened to their daughter but declined to comment further.
