Pamela Ann Merritt.Photo:Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
A Texas woman has been charged with murder following the 2021 disappearance of her landlord in Houston, according to multiple outlets including theHouston Chronicle, Fox 26 and KHOU.
In a Tuesday news release, theHouston Police Departmentsaid that Pamela Ann Merritt, 43, was taken into custody in connection with the death of Colin Kerdachi, 78. Patrol officers were called to 605 West Clay Street in December 2021, after a witness said a human skeleton was found in the backyard. Kerdachi was the owner of the residence.
“Officers found the remains in an advanced state of decomposition,” the news release reads.
According to police, the witness and the home’s occupants said that they found the remains as they were cleaning the house and the yard. Autopsy results confirmed the remains were of Kerdachi’s, said police. Kerdachi lived at the home and was reported missing in February 2021 when Texas experienced itsbig freeze.
Pamela Ann Merritt.Houston Police Department
Further investigation resulted in Merritt being identified as a suspect in Kerdachi’s death, per Houston police. She was charged with murder in May and authorities at the time sought the public’s assistance in regard to her whereabouts.
Merritt was arrested on Aug. 18 and taken to the Harris County Jail where she was booked, said Houston police.
While she was cleaning in October 2021, the tenant allegedly discovered items such as a blood-stained mattress, a blood-filled bin and a knife. She contacted authorities and claimed that Merritt and the boyfriend said Kerdachi had an accident and they took him to the hospital.
The same tenant also reported the discovery of the remains in December 2021. “I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before because, once you realize, it’s kind of obvious but it kind of blended in at first,” she told KHOU at the time.
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“She also claimed that she believes (Kerdachi) faked his death to commit fraud and is probably alive in Africa,” an investigator wrote, per Law & Order.
Bail was set for Merritt at $500,000, theHouston Chroniclereported. Jason Luong, her attorney, said that his client has a history of mental health issues, per the outlet. She is slated to make a November court appearance.
PEOPLE reached out to Luong for comment.
source: people.com
