Who Was Daisy Coleman & What Happened Between Her and Matthew Barnett?

Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of sexual assault, bullying, and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

Daisy Coleman, the subject of the Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, once shared that Matthew Barnett, a senior from her high school, allegedly raped her. According to Coleman, she was 14 when Barnett, then 17, sexually assaulted her in January 2012. The incident reportedly occurred at a house party after they had a lot to drink. Following this, she claimed her assaulter left her on her family’s lawn in freezing temperatures. Coleman’s friend Audrie Pott, 13, who had accompanied her that night, was also raped. Pott died by suicide only days after the alleged sexual assault.

Reportedly, once Daisy Coleman opened up about the assault, she faced criticism and bullying. Additionally, the county prosecutor initially dropped the charges against Matthew Barnett and two other boys. Allegations surfaced that they dropped the case because Barnett came from a well-connected family. Then, in 2014, Barnett pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of child endangerment. He claimed the sex between him and Coleman was consensual, refuting the latter’s claims that she blacked out.

Daisy Coleman and Matthew Barnett’s case gained national traction before Netflix’s documentary Audrie & Daisy premiered. Daisy Coleman, who had attempted to kill herself multiple times during the case, died by suicide in 2020. Her unfortunate death came four years after she featured in the documentary.

What happened between Daisy Coleman & Matthew Barnett?

According to NPR and ABC News, Matthew Barnett allegedly raped Daisy Coleman in the early hours of January 8, 2012. The evidence and statements surfaced during a police investigation including text messages and interviews with Barnett and Coleman. The latter claimed she and her 13-year-old friend Audrie Pott were “drinking in my bedroom without my mom’s permission that night.” She admitted to receiving a text from Barnett, saying, “Hey, you want to hang out?” to which she responded, “Well, I’ll have to sneak around. It’s like 1 in the morning.” 

In a text message the duo exchanged that night, Matthew Barnett wrote, “U wanna come drink wit me and chill.” Daisy Coleman replied to the message, saying, “OMFG. Sweeet.” She then wrote, “Do you want me to bring alcohol [sic]?” Barnett then picked up Coleman and her friend Audrie Pott from her house. All three then sneaked into the Barnett home along with some other boys where they consumed more alcohol.

Later, around 5 a.m., Coleman was found on the porch of her family’s home. She was unconscious and had been there in sub-freezing temperatures in just a T-shirt and sweatpants for nearly three hours.

Reportedly, authorities interrogated Matthew Barnett hours after the alleged sexual assault on Daisy Coleman. At the time, Barnett admitted to having a sexual encounter with Coleman but maintained it was consensual. He also alleged that the latter was not drunk when the intercourse happened. However, Coleman argued that she blacked out after drinking too much. The then-14-year-old claimed Barnett raped her before leaving her in the front yard.

Once the case surfaced, Daisy Coleman and her family faced harassment. Coleman’s peers bullied her in school, and she faced cyberbullying. Due to the harassment, the Coleman family even had to move, but the bullying continued. The rape survivor attempted to take her life on multiple occasions. Moreover, in the days following the alleged sexual assault, Audrie Pott, who was also a rape victim, died by suicide.

ABC News reported that Nodaway County prosecutor Robert Rice dropped the case against Matthew Barnett three months later. Rice claimed there was insufficient evidence, but he later faced accusations of dropping the charges because of the Barnett family’s political ties. Reportedly, Matthew Barnett is the grandson of former Missouri State Representative Rex Barnett.

Ultimately, in January 2014, Barnett pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of child endangerment. Then, Daisy Coleman appeared in Netflix’s Audrie and Daisy documentary in 2016 to further talk about the alleged rape. Four years later, she died by suicide at 23.