A dentist in Georgia arrested in March for allegedly shooting her partner to death in a bedroom at their shared home remains in jail after a judge denied her request for bail, according to a story published on June 17 in First Coast News.
A grand jury indicted Dr. Suzanne Mericle, the owner of Mericle Dentistry in St. Simons Island, GA, on charges of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, criminal damage to property in the first degree, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of James Barron. Mericle is scheduled to be arraigned in August, according to the story.
At about 1 a.m. on March 8, authorities responded to a Gainesville, GA, home and found an unresponsive man who had been shot in his torso in a bedroom. The man -- who was identified as Barron, age 68 -- was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Mericle was home at the time and was taken into custody for allegedly shooting Barron.
In March, Barron’s sons filed a wrongful death suit against Mericle, who was in a relationship with Barron. The suit claims that Mericle argued with their father on March 8 at their home. Barron locked himself in a bedroom, and Mericle allegedly got a gun and shot Barron through the bedroom door, killing him, according to the sons' lawsuit. Barron’s children accuse Mericle of being under the influence at the time of the shooting.
In response to the lawsuit, Mericle invoked her Fifth Amendment right to protect herself from self-incrimination to most of the claims in the lawsuit filed by Barron’s two sons. Additionally, Mericle’s attorney filed a motion for a protective order, as well as a motion to stay the civil case until her criminal case is resolved.
Barron’s sons, who have not been identified, are seeking damages, including their father's lost wages, funeral expenses, and attorney fees, according to the stories.
