Dustin Merrick, 26, and Bret Merrick, 24, are being held on $5 million bond each in the Greene County Jail. Dustin Merrick is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and his brother, Bret, is charged with felonious assault and two counts of complicity to aggravated murder. They are accused in the Jan. 15 deaths of William “Skip” Brown, 44, and Sherri Mendenhall, 63, found shot to death at a duplex on East Enon Road.
It will take weeks for a grand jury to hear all the evidence in the case against the brothers, Haller said.
“We have two defendants, the investigation is exhaustive and there’s a lot of evidence,” he said. “We’re still collecting evidence and analyzing evidence.”
Greene County Sheriff’s detectives said Dustin Merrick worked for Brown, and when the two parted ways this past fall, Brown owed money to Merrick.
“Mr. Merrick expressed to me that he had asked to change his hours to accommodate his desire to be with his family, girlfriend and their child, and Skip would not accommodate that,” said Detective Kelly Edwards.
A grand jury is expected to hear testimony from investigators and newly released evidence, including autopsy results. A grand jury also will decide whether one or both brothers should face the death penalty.
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