28-Year-Old US Soldier Dies by Suicide After Honeymoon, Bride Says 'There Were No Signs'

The wedding photographs still lie scattered across Isabel Coles' coffee table in Southern Pines. Some show her beaming in white lace. Others capture her husband Christopher's easy smile as he jokes with groomsmen. What these frozen moments can't reveal is how quickly everything would unravel.

Three days after returning from their beach music festival honeymoon. Twenty-four hours after folding laundry together in their North Carolina home. That's all the time it took for Isabel's world to collapse.

Christopher Coles walked into the woods behind their home that September morning. He carried his handgun despite Isabel's desperate pleas. The 28-year-old soldier never returned.

A tragic end to what should have been a joyous new chapter in the life of US soldier who tragically died by suicide, leaving his bride heartbroken and bewildered.

Six months after Christopher's death, the grief remains palpable in this household where wedding gifts still occupy corners, some unopened. Hailing from Southern Pines, Isabel wed Christopher in September 2024 after connecting on a dating app a year and a half prior.

A 'Perfect' Honeymoon Turns Tragic

For their honeymoon, the pair opted for a beachfront music festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, given their shared deep affection for music. 'We were so insanely happy and in love,' Isabel said, according to a report by The Sun. 'We went to the Sea.Hear.Now Festival for our honeymoon - it was the perfect way to celebrate our marriage,' she added.

However, after they returned from the coastal festival, Isabel, 32, noticed her husband started behaving 'weird' and wouldn't share what was troubling him. The 28-year-old reportedly departed their home the morning following their honeymoon with a handgun and walked towards a nearby wooded area, despite his wife's efforts to dissuade him.

Sudden Change After Seaside Getaway

'In the morning, he was folding laundry, and things were a little weird. I asked him what was wrong, and he said "nothing",' Isabel recalled. 'He went downstairs and tried to get out. I stood at the front door and asked what was going on. He got out and started heading towards the woods,' she continued.

'I ran upstairs to get shoes on and realised he had taken his handgun,' Isabel said. The former soldier was reportedly discovered the next morning, 18 September, having died by suicide.

No Signs Of Struggle Before Soldier's Death

Isabel mentioned that her husband didn't display any indications of distress and was even folding clothes the morning before his passing. 'I was shocked, I was devastated,' she said.

'He was great during our honeymoon; we had a great time. My husband was very successful and very driven and motivated and he was such a good person, so looking back I think, "were there signs?" He was very hard on himself, always pushing himself. There were no signs, it did take me really off guard,' she stated.

Posthumous Flowers Add To The Grief

For Isabel, grief arrives in waves, sometimes triggered by unexpected reminders. In February, flowers arrived at her doorstep – ordered months earlier by Christopher, who'd anticipated being deployed around Valentine's Day.

'The delivery woman had no idea,' Isabel says, her voice breaking. 'She congratulated me, said how thoughtful my husband was.'

Viral Video Sparks Online Debate

Isabel's search for understanding led her to share her story online. The video has garnered nearly 40 million views, bringing support but also cruel speculation. She says that some commenters have criticised her for publicising her husband's story and hold her responsible for his death. The accusations hurt, but Isabel refuses to let them define Christopher's memory or their relationship.

Isabel has channeled her grief into awareness efforts. She's training for the Chicago Marathon in October to raise funds for suicide prevention by supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Under a GoFundMe campaign which Isabel founded with a £3761.02 ($5,000) goal has exceeded expectations, raising £8906.11 ($11,840).

Isabel's Mission: Raising Mental Health Awareness

'No one believes that a smart, handsome, successful man who has a great life wakes up one day and decides to end his life. There are people in my life that say I had something to do with it. I know it's not true, my husband and I were very happy,' she noted.

'No one can change that or take that away from me. There are things I do blame myself for but I don't think we were unhappy or that I did it. Isabel believes her husband 'obviously was fighting demons and no one knew about it,' The Sun quoted her as saying.

Regarding how Isabel is managing after her husband's passing, she confessed that she's 'not doing well.' She admitted, 'There's a part of me that is gone forever. There's still so much that I'm dealing with that make me feel like I'm re-living the moment over and over again which is very tough.'

'He didn't do it to hurt me, he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. For whatever reason he probably thought that people would be better off without him,' she added.

Dusk settles outside the window as Isabel packs away the wedding albums for today. Tomorrow she might look again, searching their happiness for answers that may never come.