Weeks Before Deaths of Children, Matthew Coleman Said He Wanted More Kids

Mathew Taylor Coleman — Matthew Taylor Coleman. Photo: Instagram

Five weeks before Matthew Taylor Coleman was arrested for allegedly killing his two children, he texted a friend saying he wanted to have more children.

The June 30 text messages, which PEOPLE has seen and which come from a phone registered to Coleman, discuss Coleman's religious faith and thoughts on fatherhood — and give no warning signs that the 40-year-old surf instructor might act out violently.

When the friend asked Coleman if he was done having kids, Coleman wrote "No. I want at least 4." The friend then asked how he could handle having four young children. "I'm immune to body fluids at this point," Coleman responded. "We're potty training Kaleo and I change Roxy's diapers all the time. doesnt phase [sp] me."

But the illusion of a happy family shattered on August 7, when Coleman and his wife, Abby were packing for a family trip. Authorities allege that Coleman abruptly put his two kids -- Kaleo, 2, and Roxy, 10 months -- into his van and drove away from their Santa Barbara, Calif., home.

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Police say Coleman drove the children into Mexico. Two days later, authorities allege, he took the kids to a ranch, were he killed them with a spearfishing gun and returned to his hotel a few hours later. He was arrested when he attempted to cross the border back into the United States.

According to an FBI criminal complaint which was obtained by PEOPLE, Coleman allegedly told police he was motivated by the QAnon conspiracy theory, which holds the false belief that former president Donald Trump has secretly been battling a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles at the highest levels of political power and influence.

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In the criminal complaint, FBI special agent Jennifer Bannon wrote that Coleman claimed to be "enlightened by QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories and was receiving visions and signs revealing that his wife, A.C., possessed serpent DNA and had passed it on to his children."

"M. Coleman stated that he believed his children were going to grow into monsters so he had to kill them," Bannon wrote.

RELATED VIDEO: Matthew Coleman, Accused of Killing Kids Over QAnon Theories, Is Undergoing Psychological Evaluation in Jail

Coleman is now being held in protective custody in an undisclosed federal prison. He has not yet entered a plea, and the public defender's office has not returned PEOPLE's calls for comment.

The latest developments are incomprehensible to the friend, whose last communications with Coleman were upbeat and forward looking.

"Abby is good, kids are good, business is good," he texted. "The best is yet to come."

Weeks Before Allegedly Killing His 2 Children, Matthew Coleman Texted Friend That He Wanted More Kids

"I want at least 4," Matthew Coleman texted his friend. "The best is yet to come"