Chad Merritt, born on March 7, 1989, in Fayette County, left behind a legacy of love, dedication, and devotion. He passed away leaving behind his parents, fiancé, daughter, siblings, nieces, nephews, grandmother and a host of friends.
Early Life and Passions
Chad was born in Weymouth, MA and grew up in Hanover, MA. From a very young age Chad fell in love with playing soccer and had a passion for cooking. Chad had many creative passions in life, including sports, artwork, music, and cooking. Throughout his childhood and early adulthood Chad became a very successful soccer player, playing varsity for Hanover for all four years. Not many people were aware he was also a very talented artist. Chad enjoyed feeding his loved ones with his favorite food creations the most.
Career and Interests
Chad began his painting career with Greene’s Painting in Greenfield and was currently employed at Masters Professional Painting Incorporated in Canal Winchester. He enjoyed fishing, working, spending time with his daughter, and being with his family and friends.
Family
Survivors include his parents, Benjamin Merritt and Cheryl Seymour Merritt; fiancé, Tracy Phillips; daughter, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Merritt; siblings, Jamie Merritt and her fiancé, Justin Stevens, and Ashley Dean and her fiancé, Teddy Higginbotham; nieces and nephews, Mackenzie, Jason, Macey, Hailey, Jacob, Kayden, and Braylon; and grandmother, Sandra Seymour. Also surviving are several aunts, uncles, cousins, and a host of friends. Chad was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Carl and Gladys Merritt; and his maternal grandfather, Larry Seymour.
Services
There will be services held for Chad at Magoun-Biggins Funeral Home in Rockland on Sunday, January 7th from 2PM to 5PM. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Summers Funeral Home to cover funeral expenses.
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A Landmark Legal Case
Chad Merritt died at his home on Sidney Adams Road in September. His death led to a unique murder charge against Thomas Powell. Thirty-year-old Thomas Powell will be tried for the murder of a Coffee County teenager, though he was miles away at the time of Chad Merritt's death, because authorities say he sold the deadly drugs. Prosecutors hope to send Powell to prison in this very unique murder charge. Powell spends his days at the Coffee County Jail without bond. He is charged with murdering 19-year-old Chad Merritt.
Coffee County's sheriff admits Powell was nowhere near, and likely never layed a finger on Merritt, but he still says he's a murderer for one reason-- drugs. "Georgia law says if you act in the commission of a felony you can be charged with murder we're going to use that law," said Coffee Co. Sheriff Rob Smith.
Once they figured out Merritt died of an acute overdose of cocaine while experimenting with the drug, they decided to go after the person who supplied the drugs for felony murder for the first time in this County, this circuit, and as far as the D. A. knows-- the State. They got the family's blessing with the condition that they not release the dead man's name. "I've got their blessing, got the D.A.'s blessing, and we're trying to work together, and hope it will never happen again to another young person."
The sheriff is confident they'll win this case, and treat every drug overdose in the county as a murder from this day forward. "If drug dealers act in this nature, they need to be held accountable and that's what we're doing," said Smith. "We're hardcore, ready to go to court."
Powell's case will go before a grand jury early next month. We should point out the felony murder has been on the books for several years in Georgia, it just has not been used often, if at all, to go after drug dealers. It's designed to prosecute felons for murder even if they didn't set out to kill anyone.
What is the felony murder rule?
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