Fryling charged in murder of Miller resident Coy Cole

Victim’s bank account drained of $70K after alleged murder
On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office announced they were holding two persons of interest in the matter of a missing person case which had turned into a homicide. On the same day, Don Trotter, Lawrence County prosecuting attorney, brought charges against one of them. Raymond Sterling Fryling, of Verona, is being held in the Lawrence County Jail on the charge of first-degree murder in the death of Coy A. Cole, a resident of Miller. Sterling, 53, is also charged with armed criminal action, abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
According to the probable cause statement in the case, a sibling of Cole’s contacted the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office to report Cole, 52, as missing. The sibling said the last their family had any contact with Cole was on Nov. 18.
The deputy investigating the case checked with Cole’s bank, where he discovered activity on Cole’s account as late as Nov. 30; the activity was use of Cole’s debit card. The bank also informed the deputy that Cole’s account had a withdraw in excess of $70,000 on Nov. 12.
 Based on surveillance video, a person who remains unnamed was developed as a suspect in the investigation. The deputy reported the person, a former roommate of Cole’s, was using Cole’s debit card on Nov. 22, but Cole wasn’t present for the transaction.
Investigators spoke with the unnamed person who, after receiving a Miranda warning, said that Fryling, 53, shot Cole in the abdomen on Nov. 19. The person also said Cole was sitting in a tan chair at the time Fryling allegedly shot him.
After receiving a Miranda warning, Fryling was questioned in regards to Cole’s death. The deputy investigating the case reported Fryling admitted that Cole wrecked Fryling’s truck and he would make it right.
On Monday, Dec. 9, investigators from the sheriff’s office executed a search warrant on Fryling’s property in Verona. According to the probable cause statement, they searched a fresh burn pile on the property and found human remains and a tan chair.
As of press time, the other person of interest in Cole’s death had not been charged.