Paul Coleman Sentenced to 16 Years for Role in St. Cloud Murder

(KNSI) – A second suspect learns his fate for his role in the murder of a man in St. Cloud.

Paul Coleman was sentenced to 16 years and given credit for 782 days in jail on Monday. He pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in February.

On May 24th, 2022, officers were called to the 1200 block of 10th Avenue South for a man shot in the head. First responders rushed 39-year-old Michael Batsche to CentraCare-St. Cloud Hospital, where he died.

According to the criminal complaint, security camera footage from the home showed Coleman and Alphonso Cotto standing next to the victim’s garage with something in their hands minutes before 911 calls for gunshots in the area came into dispatch. Officials say nine rounds were fired. Investigators located additional camera footage showing an SUV owned by Coleman in the alley behind the victim’s home at the time of the shooting. Coleman was arrested two days later in St. Cloud. Cotto was taken into custody in Chicago. Cotto allegedly fought with Batsche over an unpaid debt before the shooting.

Cotto pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder in April. In May, he was given a 22-year sentence in prison.