The bodies of a Columbia mother and her two young sons who were murdered by their husband and father in May 2009 have been removed from their initial burial place in Chester for reburial near Chicago.

An exhumation took place Tuesday at Evergreen Cemetery, both an attorney for Sheri Coleman’s family and a cemetery official confirmed.

In a November court ruling, a judge granted Sheri’s family permission to relocate the bodies of Sheri, Garett and Gavin from Evergreen Cemetery, a burial place chosen by convicted murderer Christopher Coleman, who grew up in Chester.

Many members of Sheri’s family, including her mother and brother, reside in the Chicago area.

Attorney Jack Carey claimed that under the state’s so-called “slayer statute,” Chris Coleman lost his right to choose the burial place when he was convicted of their murders.

Rev. Ron Coleman, father of Chris Coleman — the former security chief for televangelist Joyce Meyer  — sought to keep the bodies in Chester, at least until an appeal has been heard on his son’s murder case.

Sheri, Garett and Gavin were found dead in their Columbia home on May 5, 2009. Chris Coleman was later arrested for their murders and convicted on May 5, 2011.

He is serving three concurrent life sentences.