Inside QAnon’s ‘Serpent DNA’ Theory That FBI Say Influenced A California Dad To Kill His Two Kids
The dangerous theory has led to violence before.
Matthew Taylor Coleman / Instagram Matthew Taylor Coleman, a California surf school owner, who is accused of killing his 2-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter allegedly told FBI investigators he believed they had "serpent DNA."
According to documents in the investigation, Coleman had been following QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories and believed that killing his children "was the only course of action that would save the world."
The death of the two young children and their father's alleged involvement raises concerns over the increasing popularity of conspiracy theory groups and the beliefs they espouse.
Understanding the bewildering details of the theories Coleman supported will not explain or rationalize his alleged crimes — but it may provide clarity on his dangerous beliefs.
What is 'serpent DNA'?
Coleman's belief about serpent DNA, can be connected to a "lizard people" conspiracy theory that has become wrapped up in QAnon and Illuminati theories — though it predates these groups by several decades.
The theories are unrelated to Jeremy Narby's 1998 book "The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge" which investigates the connections between shamanism and molecular biology.
The lizard-people conspiracy theory was popularized in 1998.
Contemporary beliefs in reptilian humanoids are mostly linked to David Icke, a British conspiracy theorist who published the 1998 conspiracy book called "The Biggest Secret."
In the book, Icke alleged that blood-drinking reptilians of extraterrestrial origin had been controlling the world for centuries, as they have interconnecting bloodlines which let them hold that power. The book also suggests that these lizard people originated the Illuminati — a largely ficticious group that some believe control the world.
Icke's reptilian theories are largely considered to be antisemetic, as they are evocative of centuries-old blood libels accusing Jews of drinking the blood of Christian children. He has denied that this is true.
In the years since Icke's book, the theory has spread. According to a 2013 poll, 4% of respondents — equating to around 12 million Americans — believed "lizard people control politics."
The lizard-people theory has been taken up by QAnon followers.
As QAnon continues to gain traction since its 2017 inception, so has the lizard-people theory.
Both QAnon conspiracies and lizard-people conspiracies believe that the world is being controlled by "evil blood-drinking elites that are responsible for all the evil in the world."
Coleman's alleged crimes echo those of Anthony Warner who blew up an RV in Nashville in December 2020, in a suicide bombing that injured several bystanders.
According to WTVF, Warner's death came soon after he sent packages to his friends that included letters alleging that lizard people were controlling the world, including several typed pages about conspiracy theories.
The serpent DNA theory comes from the QAnon universe, who believe elites — or any powerful Democrat, celebrity, a businessperson — consume an imaginary drug called "adrenochrome," which is supposedly produced from children when they're afraid.
They believe that these "reptilians" feed off their emotions and are an explainer for the evil that has befallen them and the world.
Lizard-people theories may also be Biblical references.
The idea of the serpent being evil is also a centuries-old idea as the snake has been commonly known as a symbol of evil in mythology and the Old Testament.
The word serpent is derived from the Latin word "serpens," which is a crawling animal or snake. The serpent is also known in the Old Testament story of Adam and Eve. The serpent or snake represents evil and is equated with the Devil, as it tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
Neighbors of Colemans' family told reporters that they were shocked and thought that Coleman seemed like a good family man. Unfortunately even the most unsuspecting people can fall into the downward spiral of QAnon conspiracies.
Megan Hatch is a writer at YourTango who covers pop culture, love and relationships, and self-care.