Willits woman was killed with piece of furniture, court records show

A Willits woman was killed June 29 after being attacked with what authorities described as a wooden table leg, according to a Mendocino County court document.

The weapon is identified in a criminal complaint filed July 2 in Mendocino County Superior Court against Willits resident Michael Coleman, 41.

He’s charged with murder in the killing of Roberta Ann McNeal-Wood, 77, who was found in the 5200 block of Blue Lake Road in Willits’ Brooktrails Township.

Coleman is also charged with one count of burglary. He was arraigned Wednesday and is scheduled to enter a plea to both charges on July 10.

Court records show he’s being held at the Mendocino County jail in lieu of $600,000 bail.

An investigation began about 11 a.m. June 29 after investigators received calls about a disturbance with yelling and fighting at the home.

The front windows appeared to be broken out and there was blood in and around the front of the house, according to the Mendocino Count Sheriff’s Office.

Coleman was in a vehicle that arrived at the scene while investigators were present and he was arrested, officials said.

Court records show Coleman has a history of arrests and convictions since 2002. His last felony conviction in Mendocino County was in September 2020 when he pleaded no contest to causing a structure fire.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to call the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Communications Center at 707-463-4086.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi