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Missing portrait of popular prosecutor spurred massive search that turned up no clues Date published: 11/18/2008
By DAN TELVOCK The late T. Stokeley Coleman never wanted to be a big-time lawyer. He just wanted to be a good one. Coleman's peers thought so highly of the him that they honored him in January 1983 with a painted portrait that hung in different places in the Spotsylvania County court complex for about 15 years. But that portrait has disappeared, and county officials have launched a big-time search for it. "Obviously it is important to the family because it is my father," said Coleman's son, Dickie Coleman, 61. "This is a professional portrait, and I have to say it was very well done." Deputy County Administrator Doug Barnes said he had employees exhaustively search attics, basements, closets and storage rooms. He copied a Feb. 23, 1983, article from The Free Lance-Star that included a photograph of the portrait and sent it to every employee with the message in bold letters: "If you have seen this portrait, please call Dickie Coleman." "I don't know what else to do," Barnes said. "If there is something I missed that I can be doing, I would do it, but I don't know what that is at this point." The portrait once hung next to one of Coleman's father, also a former commonwealth's attorney, in the old circuit courtroom next to a series of pictures of Confederate generals. While the old courthouse was being renovated, the portraits were placed in storage. When the new circuit courthouse opened in 1994, then-Circuit Judge William Ledbetter had all portraits of prosecutors moved to the commonwealth's attorneys office law library. Dickie Coleman complained to Ledbetter that his father's portrait had been damaged in storage and that he wanted it hung in a more visible spot. The judge directed that it be removed and restored, said Commonwealth's Attorney William Neely. "I have no idea what became of it after that," Neely said. "It was gone for several years. I assumed it was hanging in a lobby of a building somewhere. We still have the father's portrait hanging in my law library." James E. Jarrell Jr., Coleman's son-in-law, introduced Coleman at the 1983 ceremony. He said he had only recently found out that the painting is missing. "I think anybody who ever knew him would tell you he was a very competent lawyer, but more important, they would tell you he was a true Southern gentleman," Jarrell said. "He treated everyone with respect, and he was held in high regard by everyone who knew him." Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
Read more stories about Spotsylvania Date published: 11/18/2008
that in our current budget crisis, the county can find the funds to pay employees to look for a painting.
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