WATERLOO • As Christopher Coleman's murder trial wound toward a close here Wednesday, lawyers for his slain wife, Sheri Coleman, refiled a wrongful-death lawsuit seeking damages from him, his ex-boss televangelist Joyce Meyer, and her ministry.

The suit relies heavily upon the criminal case allegation that Christopher Coleman wrote mysterious threats against his own family. It says Meyer and her ministry should have known the messages came from Coleman and warned his wife "to take steps necessary to protect herself and her children."

The couple's two sons were slain in 2009 as well as their mother.

The 27-page suit names Christopher Coleman, the ministry, Joyce Meyer and one of her sons, Daniel B. Meyer, a ministry executive and longtime friend of Christopher Coleman. Two counts are against Coleman, five against the ministry, three against Joyce Meyer personally, and one against her son. Each count seeks at least $50,000.

Included is a claim that Meyer had a 'special duty" as the Colemans' counselor to warn his family.

The ministry's attorney, Michael King, said, "There is no evidence of anything here on the part of the ministry and certainly not on the parts of Joyce Meyer and Daniel."

He noted that Coleman himself had reported the threats to police and "it would have been improper for us to jump in and interfere."

He also disputed that Meyer had any special duty. "Joyce is not a counselor, and there is no evidence or proof that she counseled either one of them," King said. "Was there some counseling at the ministry? Yes, but that doesn't create any special duty for Joyce."

King also said that many of Sheri Coleman's friends were aware of the threats, "but they don't have a lot of money." He said he heard the plaintiffs want $10 million to $20 million.

Antonio Romanucci, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, declined to confirm those figures but said that Meyer "has money, and there is no question that is part of the reason" for the suit.

He said the suit would go forward no matter what the criminal case verdict.

At a news conference outside the courthouse, he said, "Had they acted properly, we would not be sitting here."

Sheri Coleman's mother, Angela DeCicco, told reporters, "Me and my family's one goal is to keep my daughter's memory alive, my grandchildren's memories alive." She added, "If we can save one person from being abused or (having) done what was done to my daughter, that would just make us feel wonderful."

Romanucci, of Chicago, and co-counsel Jack C. Carey, of Belleville, filed a similar lawsuit against Christopher Coleman three weeks after the murders, but withdrew it March 11, after encountering technical problems in trying to add Joyce Meyer and her ministry as defendants.