LELAND, NORTH CAROLINA — Ronald Lee Merrick, a resident of Leland, who was arrested and charged with second-degree murder last year, has been acquitted by a Brunswick County jury.
Merrick was accused of killing 26-year-old Dondre Shaw in August 2020 after an argument between the two, WWAY.
However, the jury declared Merrick not guilty, ruling that he had acted in self-defense when he fatally shot Shaw.
The Leland police had initially stated that the argument between the two had led to the shooting.
The 70-year-old Merrick was exonerated by the jury after less than two hours of deliberation.