Suzanne Renee Mericle (Hall County Sheriff’s Office).
The offspring of a Georgia man who was murdered have taken legal action against the woman accused of causing his death. Suzanne Renee Mericle, aged 61, allegedly shot James David Barron, aged 68, through a bedroom door after he tried to walk away from an argument, as stated in the complaint obtained by Law&Crime.
In a statement from the plaintiff, it was expressed that “This family has gone through an unimaginable loss, and they have filed this lawsuit to safeguard their family and their legal rights.” The family, known as the Barrons, has asked for their privacy to be honored during this challenging period. The legal representatives have chosen not to provide further details on the ongoing investigation. Hence, no additional comments are available at this time.
Authorities in Hall County reported that they arrived at the scene in early March to discover Barron unconscious and suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. Medical personnel at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville later declared him deceased. Mericle, who operates Mericle Dentistry, is facing charges of felony murder, aggravated assault under the Family Violence Act, and possession of a firearm while committing a crime.
According to the lawsuit, the couple had lived together at a home on the 4200 block of Bayridge Drive in the city of Gainesville, Georgia. She allegedly got into an argument with Barron on the night of the shooting.
“At no relevant time did Decedent Barron ever physically assault or batter Defendant Mericle,” the complaint said. “During the argument, Decedent Barron removed himself from the argument and retreated to an upstairs bedroom locking himself inside.”
Mericle allegedly got a gun, and as Barron was locked inside the bedroom, Mericle “negligently and/or intentionally fired at least one shot through the closed door of the bedroom.”
This fatally wounded him, but he lingered.
“Decedent Barron did not die instantaneously from the gunshot wound(s),” the complaint stated. “Instead, Decedent Barron lived for at least several minutes after he was shot, and he experienced extreme mental and physical conscious pain and suffering from the time he was shot until the time he ultimately passed away.”
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