Siobhan
Trusted Member
In Cobb County Georgia, already convicted and disbarred lawyer Richard Merritt was due to turn himself in to authorities on the 1st of Feb. to begin serving a sentence of 30 years in prison for elder abuse and stealing for clients.
Merritt, 44, never showed up, and instead there's now a massive manhunt underway for his apprehension.
It seems Merritt just wasn't satisfied with his previous crimes, and decided to expand on his criminal repertoire after his mother, Shirley Merritt was found stabbed to death on Feb 2, and her vehicle has been reported missing.
He's also cut his ankle bracelet off, so law enforcement is searching for his mother's car, a Lexus RX359 with the license plate of CBV 6004, which he's believed to still possibly be driving.
A photo was taken of him at a gas station after he'd cut his ankle bracelet, and it's believed that he may have already altered his appearance by shaving his head, face or other methods.
He is to be considered armed and dangerous.
“You need to face the consequences of the criminal behavior that you were sentenced for on the 18th of January and now you certainly need to be held accountable for the brutal murder of our mother,” brother Robert Merritt told ABC News on Saturday.
“He probably knows people all over the country, being a lawyer,” U.S. Marshal Frank Lempka told WSB. “He could be anywhere. We think he may be anywhere in the country.”
Lempka warned that the fugitive's behavior is “very unpredictable.”
“He could hurt or kill someone else at this point,” he told WSB.
A $5,000 reward is being offered for leads related to Merritt’s whereabouts. Anyone with information should contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-877-Wanted-2.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-news-richard-merritt-fugitive-20190210-story.html
Last edited: