Atlanta lawyer accused of stabbing his own mother to death claims ‘monster with dumbbell’ did it

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A disbarred attorney accused of murdering his own mother took the stand Tuesday and gave a very different version of the story.

Prosecutors said Richard Merritt brutally beat and stabbed his mother, 77-year-old Shirley Merritt, to death in 2019, on the same day he was supposed to report to prison for unrelated financial crimes.

At the time, Merritt was living with his mother in Tucker and awaiting a 15-year prison sentence.

Shirley Merritt was found dead in her home shortly after her son cut off his ankle monitor and took off.

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Channel 2′s Michael Seiden was at the DeKalb County courthouse Tuesday, where Merritt took the stand in his own defense.

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Merritt claimed two armed men he didn’t know barged into the home and killed his mother in front of him.

“This monster took this dumbbell and proceeded to bludgeon my mother right in front of me,” Merritt said. “And she stepped moving at this point.”

Merrit said a man with a pistol to his back brought him downstairs, then came back a few minutes later with a kitchen knife and “proceeded to stab my mother repeatedly in front of me.”

Prosecutors fired back, saying Merritt has spent his entire life telling lies to get himself out of trouble. They also questioned why he never reported the two alleged killers to his family or authorities and instead drove to Tennessee and remained on the lam until authorities caught him.

Prosecutors said Merrit settled civil lawsuits without telling his clients and kept the money for himself. He used the money taken from clients, some elderly or filing medical malpractice claims, to buy a Porsche or go on vacation, investigators said

Closing arguments are set to begin at 9 a.m. and then the case will be in the hands of the jury.

Video shows moments that led to a fight between a suspect and police

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