Monroe Merrell

The 2020 indictment charged Merrell, Sanford and Black with aiding and abetting kidnapping resulting in death, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and aiding and abetting corrupt destruction of an object involving J.R.; Smith was charged as an accessory after the fact.

The 2020 indictment charged Merrell, Sanford and Smith with conspiracy to commit tampering with a witness causing death and two aiding-and-abetting tampering-with-a-witness-causing-death counts involving D.T. and H.G.; Merrell and Sanford were also charged with aiding and abetting intimidation of a witness by threats, and Merrell was charged with solicitation to commit a crime of violence.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said a United States motion to re-seek the death penalty against Merrell was denied.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Merrell's guilty plea made him the last defendant in the multi-defendant case to accept responsibility for the kidnapping and murders.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Merrell's acceptance of responsibility encompassed E.D., previously identified in Counts Eight and Nine of the indictment as Jane Doe, in a solicitation-of-murder plot.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Merrell faces a life sentence on each count to which he pled guilty.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said David Sanford Jr., John Black III and Jeffrey Smith Jr. had previously pled guilty in the indictment, and April Braner and Norman Bradford had entered guilty pleas by information.