William Carson Merrill’s first pre-trial conference before Flagler County Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano was delayed three months when Merrill’s attorney asked for a continuance on Tuesday.
Merrill is the 33-year-old Palm Coast man who shot his wife with an AK-47 in the couple’s bathroom on Covington lane, while the couple’s 3-year-old daughter was in the bath, the morning of Feb. 21. Merrill had trained the rifle against his wife’s chest, unaware, he said, that it was loaded, and pulled the trigger. Stefanie Merrill, 30, died soon after. The baby was not injured.
Merrill was charged with manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He remains at the Flagler County jail on $200,000 bond. He pleaded not guilty.
Merrill’s attorney asked for 60 days to prepare for further proceedings. Zambrano granted 90. A pre-trial conference is used by all parties to update the judge on the progression of the case and secure stipulations about evidence. The judge can call such hearings at his discretion.
Unlike for Merrill’s guilty plea, which was entered for him by his attorney in his absence, Merrill was in court Tuesday morning, in an orange jump suit, shackled hand and foot, wearing black-rimmed glasses. He did not address the court.
B. Claire says
2nd Amendment Right, huh?
Fall back on that for the millionth time there was a senseless murder. This time witnessed by the murder victim’s 3-year-old daughter…during her bath, for God’s sake!
…surely this is what the founding fathers had in mind, right?
…so that you can cause this level of 21st Century genocide
William Merrill Charged With Manslaughter for Killing His Wife With his AK-47:
*20 Guns at Home
*a previously convicted felon,
*convicted of grand theft when he stole materials from his employer and resold them out of his home.
*He had also been charged with illegal possession of firearms at the time, when he told a cop that he had two .22-caliber revolvers
*arrested in Flagler County in 2006 on a domestic battery charge, for head-butting his wife
*20 years old and convicted on felony and misdemeanor drug possession and reckless driving charges
*charged with driving under the influence, drug possession and one count of selling marijuana. Etc. etc. etc.
How’s this working for all you ‘Founding Father Gross Misinterpretation’ fans?
palmcoaster says
@ B. Claire very much a reality your words. I also think, that no wonder our county jail is overcrowded and they are lobbying for one at several millions cost, on our pockets.
If the defendant attorney asked for 60 days, why the judge gave him 90..? Did he think also about ours, the tax payers rights, funding his lodging?
son says
you aren’t funding his lodging his immediate family is. They pay for lodging food phonecalls paper and money in an account for him to buy small things such as deodorant
Anonymous says
I think we are going to be funding his lodging for quite some time.
Prescient33 says
A cheating husband’s wife killed him with his Mercedes-do we take all cars away to prevent repeats? Bobbit’s wife removed his offending member-do we ban knives? The enemies of our 2nd Amendment rights will stop at nothing in pursuit of their agenda.
Outsider says
B. Claire, do you really think if all guns were gone people would not find a way to murder each other? Go ask O.J. Simpson what he thinks. Why aren’t you screaming about cars? Thousands of people are killed in cars every year through misuse; should we take away all the cars next? What about kitchen knives? How many people have been murdered with kitchen knives? How about baseball bats? Piano wire? Large rocks? That’s it, let’s ban all large rocks.
Really? says
To Prescient33 , Outsider & all others cheering your points – your attempt at logic is old, tired and ultimately illogical. Even laughable if the subject wasn’t so serious. Guns are designed for one thing and one thing only…to kill with. Trying to defend guns by including them with all the other endless objects is not only foolhardy but dangerous to the safety of a civil society. All the objects you cited – knives, cars, bats, etc., have meaningful, peaceful multiple purposes in our lives. They entertain, they make our lives easier and so forth. Guns however are designed to kill. Period. Following this logic why don’t we use nuclear weapons for warfare? We have them and they have only one purpose, correct? Then, we should use them right? Wrong! We don’t use them because we realize that mutually assured destruction is undesirable. Guns are supposed to do the same thing for us but they fail us miserable on a mass social scale. When every Tom, Dick and Harry is permitted access to a gun is the resultant insanity no surprise? Gun advocates have trouble understanding this logic as well as the horrendous mass effectiveness of guns and the disruption of society they create. There is a reason why we do not want some nations to have nuclear weapons. Arguably, some nations are not stable enough on the world stage to be trusted. In fact, is there any country stable enough to possess nuclear weapons? Wouldn’t we all feel safer if nuclear weapons didn’t exist at all on earth? Be honest on that one. Similarly, guns introduce and enable a mass destruction capability to society. From collective singular incidents to Columbine to all the others. How many people can a person with a knife kill in 3 secs? A gun? You see the point.
The immediacy, the convenience, the swift and accurate power, the concealability, and the mystique/legacy/history of guns are all realities that compound these gun-related social issues we face as a country. As a country why are we more crazy about our guns than we are about the deleterious effects guns have on us and all too often, our personal safety? Isn’t it past time that we grow this country into a peaceful, respectful and civil nation? Can that ever be achieved as long as any Tom, Dick and Harry can have their way with a gun?
Chuck says
I guess everyone that uses guns for shooting competitions and target practice is a criminal in your mind and only use their guns for “killing”. In your thinking cops are just killers too because they carry guns. What about hunters using their guns to put food on the table, is that any worse than slitting a cows neck and letting it bleed to death. I have guns and have not and hopefully will never have to use it to “only kill”. Yes I hunt and eat what I “kill” but does that make me a criminal, I think not. Now do you see the point?
son says
And tell me how we defend ourselves when someone tries to kill us with a gun cause if someone wants to kill you their not going to think “oh this is illegal better not use a gun”. How would our country defend itself against other country’s where they accept guns. Now you see our point. Guns do have more than one purpose SELF DEFENSE. Police officers carry them for protection against criminals. Get your facts straight.
meh says
really sad. didn’t anybody tell him he was rolling with the extended mag perk?
can’t imagine what this little girl is going thru, even at that age.
anonymous says
Shes fine. I know. She has a grief counselor. Shes to young to remember or understand any of it. She just talks about mommy being an angel now.