In the weeks sinceMatthew Taylor Colemanwas arrested for allegedlykilling his two children, he as been held at an undisclosed federal prison — but a Coleman family friend tells PEOPLE that he is seeking forgiveness.
“He has spoken to his family on the phone,” a longtime family friend tells PEOPLE. “It’s sinking in what happened, and he’s devastated. He has begged his family for forgiveness.”
Police say Coleman drove the children into Mexico. Two days later, authorities allege, he took the kids to a ranch, were hekilled them with a spearfishing gunand returned to his hotel a few hours later. He was arrested when he attempted to cross the border back into the United States.
Matthew Taylor Coleman.Instagram

Kaleo and Roxy Coleman.Matthew Taylor Coleman/instagram

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
“M. Coleman stated that he believed his children were going to grow into monsters so he had to kill them,” Bannon wrote.
Coleman wasindicted on murder chargeslast month. He is eligible for the death penalty. Coleman is now being held in protective custody. He has not yet entered a plea, and the public defender’s office has not returned PEOPLE’s calls for comment.
For now, Coleman’s family and friends are still reeling from the sudden violence, and may not yet be ready to accept his apology
“I think there’s compassion there,” says the longtime family friend, “but forgiveness is going to take some time. What he did is just so horrific. It’s going to take a lot of time for everyone to wrap their heads around it.”
source: people.com