‘It’s just an unfair day;’ Today marks 6 years since Cheryl Coker disappeared

RIVERSIDE — It’s been six years since Cheryl Coker disappeared.

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The Riverside mom was last seen on October 2, 2018, dropping her daughter off at school. Four months after her disappearance, investigators told News Center 7 that their suspect was Cheryl’s husband, Bill Coker.

In April 2020, a hiker found Cheryl’s remains in a rural part of Greene County.

An autopsy ruled that “homicidal violence” played a role in her death. However, News Center 7 uncovered new legal posturing related to her death.

To this day, no one has been charged or arrested.

News Center 7′s Mike Campbell spoke to Cheryl’s sister, Margie Keenan. She and others discovered Cheryl’s car in a parking lot a day after she disappeared, but with no chance to ever say goodbye and no one charged in her death, this is a very tough day.

“Six years ago and it’s just an unfair day,” Keenan said.

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Keenan said it’s not justice to only see her sister when making a trip to the cemetery.

“Remembering Cheryl all the time and it’s days I don’t like to remember are these days, the unfair days,” Keenan said.

The criminal investigation is still active but News Center 7 uncovered a legal development in federal court. That’s where News Center 7 obtained a civil lawsuit filed against Bill Coker by his insurance company last year.

The Unum Insurance company claimed they didn’t know the proper beneficiaries of life insurance taken out on Cheryl Coker amounting to $360,000. It also claimed that more than a year after Cheryl went missing, Bill Coker increased the spouse death benefits from 80 to $100,000.

News Center 7 obtained investigative files that show Riverside Police detectives asked Bill Coker about life insurance a week after she disappeared.

Unum’s lawsuit pointed out that Riverside police named Bill Coker their only suspect in Cheryl’s death and that her death was ruled “Undetermined Homicidal violence.”

News Center 7 discovered the two sides settled the case out of court, dismissing the lawsuit.

Keenan didn’t want to talk about any lawsuit, instead focusing on Cheryl.

“We should be sharing times together, a lot of memories and there’s a lot that’s going on that I would love to share with her, in person,” Keenan said.

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