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Former lawyer Richard Merritt, accused of killing mother, found guilty on all counts

The trial of former and now disbarred lawyer, Richard Merritt, has resulted in verdicts of guilty on all charges. Merritt is accused of killing his mother. A 3-minute video prepared by the FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team showing the jury’s verdict can be seen here. The video begins with the words: “as with count 1, malice murder…we the jury find the defendant guilty.” A commentator states that “the former now-disbarred attorney has been found guilty of the heinous murder of his mother.”

Details of the jury verdicts and the sentencing disclose that Merritt “has been found guilty on all counts including malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to life without parole.”

As described here, “The courtroom finally saw emotion from Merritt when these guilty verdicts were read. He immediately dropped his head, took off his glasses and began rubbing his eyes.” The DeKalb County trial of Richard Merritt, accused of brutally murdering his mother, concluded with minimal  emotion exhibited by Merritt.

As reported, a brief history of events leading up to the murder discloses that the murder occurred on the day Merritt was supposed to turn himself in to prison “to begin serving a 15-year prison sentence for stealing money from his clients in 2019.” Facts disclosed in reporting allege that his mother, “who helped support Merritt his whole life, was cooking his last meal before he began serving time.” Merritt then “brutally stabbed her with a kitchen knife.”

Merritt presented a narrative different from that described by the prosecution. As reported, Merritt testified on Tuesday “that he was not the one who stabbed his mother.” Merritt alleged that “two men with pistols held him and his mother at gunpoint and then killed her with a knife right in front of him.” Merritt also testified: “he was seduced by money.” See related article: Richard Merritt trial: Disbarred attorney takes stand, claims he saw who murdered mother.

Mike Jefcoat, a cousin of Merritt’s, made a statement to the court at the sentencing hearing. As reported, Jefcoat stated to the court that Merritt “couldn’t stand the idea of somebody with an ego as big as his being sent to prison.”  In addition to the conviction of murdering his mother, Merritt was accused of “cutting off his ankle bracelet, running to Nashville, getting on a website and dating a woman and living with her under a complete and utter pretext.” Jefcoat further emphatically alleged: Merritt’s “life has been a pretext. I just want the court to know what an evil person he is in the eyes of his family.”

Merritt’s defense attorney, Daryl Queen told FOX 5 “he was not surprised by the guilty verdicts.” Belaboring the obvious, Queen said “the jury obviously rejected Merritt’s testimony that two gunmen killed his mom.” Family members were interviewed by the media. As reported, “Merritt’s older brother Rob told FOX 5 he was not ready to forgive the 47-year-old for killing their mother.”

As reported, Merritt made an illuminating confession: “I was raised right by two beautiful people and I had a beautiful wife and children. The world was our oyster, and I blew it over the worst drug there is: the green money. I made a lot of bad choices and decisions.”

D&B Staff

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