Mom charged in son’s hot car death may leave jail for funeral, Gwinnett judge says

The 29-year-old mother’s son, Daniel Coleman, died July 29 after she forgot to drop him off at daycare and left him in the back seat of her car for about nine hours while she worked at a Gwinnett County hospital, officials allege.

Coleman’s attorney, Tom Ford, said he was thankful for the agreement to let her attend Daniel’s funeral.

“She’s not had the opportunity yet to cry for her child. She’s going to have that opportunity Saturday,” he said.

The funeral furlough decision is the latest legal wrangling in the case.

Coleman, whose last name also appears as Simpson on certain documents, appeared in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. Ford tried to strike a deal with the state to dismiss her second-degree murder charge. Coleman also faces a charge of second-degree cruelty to children.

“If the state was gracious enough to allow for a dismissal of second-degree murder ... this court could set a bond. She could attend her funeral unescorted by deputies,” Ford told the court then.

Gwinnett prosecutor Megan Matteucci objected, telling the court the request amounted to a bond argument and should not be part of those proceedings. A magistrate court judge cannot set bond for a charge of murder, something Chief Magistrate Judge Kristina Hammer Blum reminded the defense and prosecution.

Ford then chose instead to waive Coleman’s preliminary hearing, a move that sent the case to Superior Court and prevented prosecutors from presenting probable cause evidence.

On Monday afternoon, Ford filed a motion for bond in Superior Court in hopes a hearing would be scheduled ahead of this weekend’s funeral. That hearing is now scheduled for later, on Sept. 9.

The prosecution’s emergency motion came amid what the state described as ongoing discussions with Coleman’s attorney about the issue and what steps should be taken.

In its emergency motion Thursday, the state wrote that it met with Ford on July 31 and “verbally agreed to consent to a funeral furlough” and “told defense counsel to submit a consent order for the Defendant to attend the funeral in the custody of the Sheriff.”

The state wrote that Ford “never sent an order nor filed a motion” for Coleman to attend.

According to an obituary, Daniel’s funeral will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hollifield Mortuary in Atlanta. Ford initially said the funeral was not open to the public, but the funeral home said it will be.

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

After Tuesday preliminary hearing, the state wrote in the emergency motion that it “again contacted defense counsel and agreed to consent to a furlough..., requesting defense counsel send a consent order.”

“After no response from the Defense, the State sent a consent order to defense counsel on Aug. 12, 2026 requesting defense to sign” for Coleman to attend the funeral while still in custody, according to the motion.

The state said that by Thursday, Ford had not filed a motion for furlough for Coleman, nor had he signed the consent order the state sent him.

A Superior Court judge, state prosecutors and Ford discussed the emergency furlough motion and order Friday morning in chambers rather than open court. Afterward, Ford spoke to reporters outside the Gwinnett courthouse.

Ford said he and prosecutors had been negotiating the furlough’s terms since before the state filed its emergency motion. Ford said he took issue with the tone of the state’s motion, which he said seemed to suggest he was “foot dragging.” He said back-and-forth conversations had been taking place.

Ford has said he wants Coleman to be able to dress up for the funeral instead of wearing a jail uniform, a detail not addressed in the order. He plans to have clothing available to be delivered to the jail in anticipation that Coleman be allowed to change, he said.

It remains unclear how long Coleman will be able to stay at the service or whether she will be able to interact with family members. Ford said the order gives the sheriff’s office “broad discretion” to determine specifics based on security conditions.

Both Ford and police have said the mother had a routine before work. She would first drop off her 6-year-old and 4-year-old at daycare; the oldest needs extra attention because of an autism diagnosis, they have said. Then she would return to her car to bring the baby into the daycare, Ford previously told the AJC.

Ford has repeatedly described what happened that late July day, when the baby was left in the vehicle, as an accident.

“It is a mistake. Because you have a dead child does not make it a crime,” he told reporters following Tuesday’s hearing.

Daniel was left in Coleman’s vehicle outside Northside Hospital Gwinnett from around 6:55 a.m. to 3:55 p.m., when police got into the car and found him dead in his car seat, according to investigators. The mother worked as a certified nursing assistant at the hospital, according to Ford.

The temperature inside the car was 117 degrees an hour after a window had been broken and the child was removed, Lawrenceville police previously said.