Domestic Trouble Ends in Murder Conviction
DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the Major Crimes Unit obtained convictions against a man who murdered his girlfriend by shooting her thirteen times. Michael Lashawn Merrick, 50, was convicted of Second Degree Murder and Tampering with Evidence. After a sentencing hearing, Judge Scott Green ordered Merrick to serve twenty-five years in prison without the possibility of parole.
In a four-day trial, Assistant District Attorneys Debbie Malone and Christy Caviness explained to a jury that on April 25, 2024, Michael Merrick shot and killed Nicole Stewart in the apartment that they shared. Ms. Stewart was on the phone with a friend when her phone call abruptly ended. The friend testified that Ms. Stewart and Merrick were arguing before the call ended. The friend overheard Ms. Stewart asking Merrick, “Why do you keep showing me that gun?” Merrick fled the state immediately after the shooting. Ms. Stewart’s body was discovered by her daughter hours later. Cellular data was used to track Merrick’s movements immediately after the shooting. Merrick was ultimately arrested in Kentucky. Data from Ms. Stewart’s phone showed a pattern of communication between Ms. Stewart and Merrick in the days before her murder that revealed a troubled relationship and no communications between the parties after Merrick fled the apartment. Knoxville Police Department Violent Crimes Detective Jonthan Harris led the investigation with assistance from the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team.
“The cooperation between local, state, and federal agencies led to the apprehension and successful prosecution of this offender,” said DA Allen.
Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Kaitlyn Smith and Legal Secretary Connie Watts aided in the prosecution of this case.
If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.