And while Jeff's common-law wife says she wants justice, that was kind of a complicated concept in Jeff Coats's life.
At 14 years old he was tried as an adult in the United States and locked up for conspiracy to commit robbery and murder. He was one of the first juveniles to be labelled a "super predator" and locked away for 17 years.
And in the wake of his death, Cherisse Halsall spoke to two men whose lives had been touched by Jeff Coats' somewhat incredible story: the producer who told that story and Jeff's fellow inmate and lifelong friend.
Tonight they tell us about the man Jeff Coats was and the man he fought to become.
Coates knew all about risk and how easily lives can be lost. Back in February of 2020 he was outraged when he learned of the murder of his friend Ariana Jones.
posted (February 11, 2020)
Jeff Coats - Friend of the deceased
"For this to be the way that she goes out and to hear some dude now like I get it, you're in trouble, caught, cracked, and done. You want to be a man now after you commit a murder and kill a girl, take responsibility give some peace to the mom and dad, give some peace to the family: the sisters, the brothers, everybody, that's what you do, you wanna be a man, be a man and do that."
And maybe Coates was so "tough on crime" because as he liked to tell people, he'd been there, having served 17 years in prison on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. He went in at 14 and came out at 31.
Gordon Katic, Featured Coates in documentary
"Jeff got kind of swept up when he was young in a panic around Juvenile super predators. So in Washington state, he was one of the first young offenders to be sentenced as an adult."
And it was in prison that Coates would meet lifetime friend Anthony Powers.
Anthony Powers, Met Jeff In Prison
"We went in young in the '90s in America they were locking up a lot of. It was like you know tough on crime for kids, especially so you know if we got in trouble then we got, ugh, but now they define it as excessive -a lot of us that should have been but in the juvenile system but we took responsibility we turned our life around and ultimately when we grew up we helped to change the prison system for the better."
But how did Jeff get to Belize? Coates tried real-estate, a call centre, restaurant, and even writing a book with the club, Replay being his final venture.
Anthony Powers, Met Jeff In Prison
"But he was like man I really just want this club to be somewhere where people can have fun and enjoy themselves and you know I don't want it to have a bad rep. I don't want it to be a place where you know gangs come to fight or anything else like that he said I really just want it to be a place where people come and have fun and then he told me about, he said it happened again because we talked after he posted that and he was like man. I really have to find a way to just you know to bring more security."
Gordon Katic, Radio & Podcast Producer
"Jeff never seemed like the kind of guy who would just shut up and take it whatever it was, he was outspoken, he was proud in the best of ways."
"From what I know about Jeff and his story and his experiences in prison he told me a few times, a few different ways that he had to defend himself and his honor because of the context in which he grew up so it doesn't really surprise me that later in life when faced with those kinds of people that he would again try and defend the honor of himself, his business and his patrons."
Anthony Powers, Met Jeff In Prison
"He loved Belizeans. I mean he considered himself one he was like this is my new home this is where I'm at, I mean one thing that I didn't see anybody speaking about is that you know when I was down there I saw that you know he feeds the poor or he used to. Once a wok I mean he really wanted to help people out and give back and I mean this is a tragic loss."
"I mean his past is his past, I don't know what the culture in Belize is but you know he did get into trouble for you know some serious crimes when he was 14 years old but he was, I mean up here that is a child you know I mean 14 years old so I mean and he really did turn his life around and he really wanted to do good in the world."
Discussion is still ongoing as to whether Coates will be buried or cremated but whatever the outcome of that decision Coats' remains will remain in his beloved Belize.
