In 2007, Gary Coleman married and was divorced in 2008 by Shannon Price. After they had been separated, the two remained together living in the state of Utah.
Their bizarre love lives have provided fodder to gossip columns over the years since Coleman died prematurely at the age of 42.
Coleman fell at home with his partner in the month of May 2010, bleeding heavily in the head. He was put in medical coma but they died after two days after Price made a controversial decision to withdraw him off life support. The decision was met with backlash instantly, not only among the masses, but by the ones who were closest to him.
Has She Pulled the Plug prematurely?
A key debate that has run over the years is whether Price was within the law and the right conscience to terminate Coleman when he was still under life support.
Coleman, according to his former partner and executor of his estate Anna Gray, had an advanced health care directive that indicated that he wanted at least two weeks of life-saving treatment before any decision was taken to withdraw it.
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Price has always justified her actions arguing that she was acting in the best interest of Coleman. Speaking to a Peacock documentary GARY, which aired in February, she said: “I would never hurt my husband and would not, ever.”
Price also stated that she was sitting on the bed or taking a rest whereas, Coleman was in the kitchen after he had come back home after attending a dialysis examination. She claimed that she had requested him to prepare her food. Soon afterwards she heard a bang and found Coleman on the floor in a pool of blood.
During the 911 call, which has since become legendary, Price sounded like a woman in panic and sometimes unresponsive to the life-saving directions given to her by the person at the other end of the phone. People who criticized and her admirers could not help but comment on her unresponsiveness and unemotional nature on the call, which only added to the rumors.
A Polygraph Test to be Shown to the World
The special will be the first public instance in which Price is publicly put through a polygraph regarding the death of Coleman. The show which will be hosted by veteran investigative journalist Tony Harry will weigh in on whether Shannon Price has been misrepresented-or whether her side of the story does not make sense.
The episode brings up revisits the events leading to the death of Coleman and addresses whether Price has been perceived wrongly by society or whether the outcome leads to a new set of questions.
Although polygraph tests cannot be admitted as legally valid in a court of law and are not infallible, they still are an interesting instrument in court of public opinion. And in the era of true crime and reality inspired investigations on TV we can expect people to turn on the screens with high levels of curiosity.
Not a Charge, Yet Not a Closure
The Santaquin Police Department declared Coleman death as an accident, in 2010. In an interview with PEOPLE, Santaquin Police Chief Dennis Howard said there was no investigation going on with regard to the death of Coleman as there was nothing suspicious at the time about his death.
The cause was also listed as accidental in his official death certificate. That did not however make people stop questioning the behavior and intentions of Price.
Price later says in an interview with Inside Edition shortly after the incident that she did not instantly assist Coleman because she was running around to find a towel and was rattled by the trauma of the moment.
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What one has to know and recognize is that this was the first real traumatic circumstance that I had to see, she said to Chief Correspondent Jim Moret.
The Gary Coleman Legacy
Gary Coleman is a popular star as a child actor during the late 1970s, when his catchphrase, Whatchu talkin bout Willis? became a family name in his hit show Diffrent Strokes where he played the character of Arnold Jackson.
However, his life was not quite good behind the scenes. He had life-long health problems because of the congenital kidney disease and had several surgeries in his early life that made him stunted and have an impact on his career.
Nevertheless, Coleman was a popular pop icon despite his struggles. His untimely demise shocked the fans worldwide and the wrongdoings surrounding the hows and why of his death have been nagging the community since then.
What is Next?
No matter how decisive are the outcomes of the polygraph test, Lie Detector: Truth or Deception will definitely reawaken the discussion of one of the most elusive and emotional Hollywood stories. The fact that Shannon Price is ready to go back on camera to prove her innocence demonstrates that even now she wishes to be proved innocent.
After the debut, the show will have new installments every Thursday at 10 p.m. ET, probably tackling other well-known mysteries. But until then, everyone is focusing on Price and on whether truth will finally be revealed.
