Bio

Troy Merck Jr. was born on January 9, 1972. He was also known by the aliases Billy Joe Melton and Hillbilly. Before the murder, Merck had traveled from North Carolina to Florida with Neil Thomas, a man he had only known for a short time. On the night before the killing, both men were drinking at a bar in Pinellas County, Florida.

Merck also had a prior criminal record before the murder case. Prosecutors later used evidence of earlier crimes during his sentencing. In 1993, Merck was convicted of first-degree murder for stabbing James Anthony Newton. He was sentenced to death, and although his sentence was reviewed and reversed more than once, he was resentenced to death again in 2004.

Murder Story

On the night of October 10, 1991, Troy Merck Jr. and Neil Thomas went to a bar in Pinellas County, Florida. After the bar closed around 2:00 a.m., several people stayed in the parking lot, including James Anthony Newton.

The conflict began when Merck and Thomas leaned on a parked car and were asked to stop. Newton later came over and spoke with people inside the car. After someone congratulated Newton on his birthday, Merck made a sarcastic comment. Newton told him to mind his own business, and Merck tried to start a fight, but Newton refused.

Merck then went to his car, removed his shirt, and returned to Newton. Witnesses said Merck attacked Newton from behind. One witness saw the flash of a blade and noticed blood on Newton’s back before running inside to get help. Newton was badly wounded and later died from multiple stab wounds. The fatal wound was to his neck.

After leaving the parking lot, Neil Thomas testified that Merck admitted stabbing Newton. Thomas said Merck held up a bloody knife and threatened to find Newton at the hospital and “finish the job” if he survived. Merck and Thomas tried to avoid police after the stabbing. They changed the license plate on the car and later left the vehicle behind. Investigators found the abandoned car, a license plate, and a knife connected to the case.

Merck was arrested the next day. His first trial ended in a mistrial, but at his second trial, he was found guilty of first-degree murder on September 7, 1993. He was sentenced to death on December 10, 1993.

His death sentence was reviewed and reversed more than once because of sentencing issues. He was resentenced to death in 1997 and again in 2004. The Florida Supreme Court later upheld his 2004 death sentence. As of the latest verified records, Merck has not been executed or resentenced to life imprisonment.