A Carroll County, Maryland, man admitted on July 28 to his role in a violent crime spree involving kidnapping, murder, and witness tampering resulting in death, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Monroe Merrell, 29, of Westminster, Maryland, pled guilty to three charges after admitting he worked with others to kidnap and murder J.R. in an apartment in Westminster in March 2020. J.R. was severely beaten and stabbed before being transported across state lines into West Virginia, where Merrell stabbed him again during the journey, resulting in J.R.’s death. Merrell and his accomplices attempted to dispose of the body by burning it with gasoline in a rural area of Rippon, Jefferson County. The discovery was made when a local resident saw the burning body near the roadway and alerted emergency services.
In April 2020, Merrell became concerned that two witnesses—D.T., 18, of Taneytown, and H.G., 33, of Westminster—would share information with law enforcement. He and others brought both from Maryland to Falling Waters in Berkeley County, where they were drugged and partially incapacitated before being killed; their bodies were then burned and disposed of in the Potomac River.
By pleading guilty as the last defendant involved in this multi-defendant case, Merrell accepted responsibility for these crimes as well as for targeting a fourth victim identified as E.D., also known as “Jane Doe,” whom he solicited to be murdered while attempting to conceal previous offenses. He faces life sentences on each count after a United States motion seeking the death penalty was denied in October 2025.
Three other co-defendants from Maryland—David Sanford Jr., John Black III, and Jeffrey Smith Jr.—previously pled guilty for their roles alongside April Braner of Falling Waters and Norman Bradford of Martinsburg, who also entered guilty pleas by Information for their involvement. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for January 25.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley D. Crockett and Kyle R. Kane are prosecuting the case with investigative support from several agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.