Shannon Price still can’t escape the questions around Gary Coleman’s death, and now a lie detector test is bringing them back to the surface.
On A&E’s “Lie Detector: Truth or Deception,” Price sat for a polygraph hoping to put the speculation to rest. Instead, the results pointed to something else entirely. Former FBI agent George Olivo told her on camera that she failed two questions directly related to Coleman’s fall. He asked, “Did you physically cause Gary’s fall?” and “Did you physically cause Gary to fall that day?” Price answered no to both, but Olivo said the results showed deception.
“You failed the exam regarding Gary’s fall,” Olivo repeated, looking her in the eye.
Price didn’t react with shock. She calmly said the test results were false.
Olivo pressed further: “You were not completely honest with me during this polygraph session,” he said. “And there’s more to this story that hasn’t been told.”
According to TMZ, the test took place in January. Price was also asked if she had ever hit Coleman or if she purposely didn’t help him when he fell. The answers were labeled inconclusive.
After the results aired, Price pushed back hard. She released a statement slamming the production.
“We were extremely disappointed with the overall experience of both the polygraph testing and dealing with A&E,” she said. “Many promises were made and not kept. The testing situation was unfair and very uncomfortable, and the testing was performed non-verbally, which I should have refused. From the beginning, it was apparent they cared more about ratings than finding the truth.”
Experts have long questioned the accuracy of polygraphs. The American Psychological Association says there’s little scientific proof they can detect lies, and people should not treat the results as fact. Price married Coleman in 2007. They divorced the next year but continued living together. In 2010, Coleman fell down the stairs in their Utah home, hit his head, and suffered a fatal brain bleed.
Price said she found him bleeding and called 911. The emergency call later leaked, and she could be heard refusing the operator’s instructions on how to help. Coleman later slipped into a coma. Price had him taken off life support two days later.
His death was ruled accidental, and she was never charged, but the public has questioned her involvement for years.
If the polygraph was meant to silence the rumors, it didn’t work. Price says the test was set up to fail. The internet isn’t buying her explanation.
