Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri reported that a Mercer County grand jury returned a four-count indictment on Friday charging a Trenton man with the August 2016 death of 60-year-old Stephen Merrill.
Jonathan Weathers, 26, of Imperial Court, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery and third-degree tampering with a witness. He remains in jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
Weathers is accused of severely beating Merrill during a robbery on August 2, 2016. Merrill was discovered on Lamberton Street at approximately 3 a.m. and transported to the hospital. He suffered from a brain bleed, a collapsed lung, and multiple broken bones. Merrill succumbed to his injuries a couple of weeks later. Weathers robbed him of his wallet, cell phone and Fitbit.
The tampering with a witness charge is a result of Weathers contacting a witness in the case from jail and telling that witness to recant their statement and not go to court.
Despite having been indicted, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.