Welcome to Love and Murder, the weekly true crime podcast that talks about relationships that turn to murder. When I say relationships, I don’t just mean bf/gf, etc. I mean marriage, dating, parent/child – you know, relationships. With that in mind, I wanted to bring you this case that’s actually currently ongoing. Have you heard of the case of the attorney who allegedly killed his mother? Richard Merritt is a disgraced lawyer who allegedly killed his mother on the day he was supposed to report to prison for stealing from his clients. Just pure insanity. Like I said, the case is currently ongoing so I kinda wanted to come on here and discuss the trial as it’s going on and keep yall up to date. Today is day 2 so we’re not too late. I want to remind yall that until a verdict is reached, according to the law, everything I say is alleged, so please keep that in mind.
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This case started 3 years ago in 2019 in DeKalb County, GA, but the issues with the former attorney began even before then. Imagine committing a crime that puts you behind bars for over a decade, but then you decide to go on the run instead. That’s what happened to Richard Merritt. Three years ago, Richard was found guilty of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlement money from his clients and was sentenced to 15 years behind bars.
It was found that Richard had stolen over $420,000 from more than a dozen clients; he would settle malpractice suits on behalf of his clients but pocket the settlement money for himself without letting his clients know.
Richard was out on bail because the judge had given him a couple of weeks to get his affairs in order before he began serving his sentence.
On the day he was supposed to report to jail, February 1, 2019, he just didn’t show up.
As police searched for him, they discovered that his ankle monitor had been cut off, but things got even worse when Richard’s mother, Shirley Merritt, was found murdered in her home. The police believe that Richard stabbed her multiple times with a knife before beating her head with a 35-pound dumbbell. “The force was so strong, the knife lodged in her skull, the handle broke off. [The] right side of her head was bashed in.” Damn dude. As he was living with his mother while out on bond, Shirley was cooking her son his last meal before he would report to jail when the attack happened.
After committing this gruesome crime, Richard fled in his Lexus SUV to Tennessee and went into hiding under a new name. He started a new life by getting a job and even started dating someone new. But of course, the law eventually caught up with him. It was eight months later when US Marshals found Richard in Nashville and arrested him for the murder of his mother.
As I said, Richard was already facing serious consequences for his previous crimes, so his sentence has now been upped to 30 years. Richard is currently going through his trial where he faces charges of 2 counts of aggravated assault, malice murder, and possession of a deadly weapon while committing a felony.
According to the State Bar of Georgia, Richard gave back his law license in January 2018 before he was to be booked in his previous case.
Since being caught, Richard is currently serving 15 years for violating his probation in addition to the 15-year sentence he was given for theft and exploiting the elderly. Also, he was ordered to pay $454,706 in restitution.
Join me on my website every day that the trial is going on. I will be live streaming the case and updates on my site. I will also post update episodes on here so subscribe.
So far, day 1, which you can see the video here curtosey of the Law and Crime Network Law&Crime Network – YouTube:
Day 1 Opening Statements
Of course attorneys from both sides painted vastly different pictures of Richard Merritt.
Prosecutor Helen Pott gave a 27 minute opening statement, addressing the jury where she discussed Richard’s previous case and that he was supposed to be turning himself in to serve his 15 year sentence. She went into detail of what happened on the day he disappeared and when and how he was found. Here are some quotes from her opening statement:
“You’re going to hear some heartbreaking things and see some ugly brutal photographs.
“He violated the trust of his client’s trust, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars, many clients, mostly elderly.”
“It will be very clear to you, Richard Merritt is guilty of all these crimes.”
Defense Attorney Heidi Wolfgruber then took over with her opening statements. She pointed out to the jury that Richard had no history of violence and said that the “evidence” presented was only meant to distract the jury from the fact that there is actually no real evidence like a lack of fingerprints or DNA at the crime scene.
“The death was a tragedy, everyone wishes she was here.”
So far in day 1 the jury was able to hear from 7 witnesses.
Don’t feel like watching the entire video, here is the break down of Day 1 courtesy of courttv.com:
The jury hears opening statements
WATCH: Murdered Mom: Attorney on Trial: Prosecution Opening Statement
WATCH: Murdered Mom: Attorney on Trial: Defense Opening Statement
The defendant’s ex-wife, Jenine Minicozzi, takes the stand
WATCH: Murdered Mom: Attorney on Trial: Defendant’s Ex-Wife Testifies
The defendant’s cousin, Mike Jefcoat, testifies to finding his aunt’s body
WATCH: Murdered Mom: Attorney on Trial: Defendant’s Cousin Recalls Finding Aunt’s Body
So this is Day 2. You can watch the video of Day 2 above and I’ll be giving the recap after the day wraps.
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