COURT IN SESSION. (THECOUNT) — A verdict has been handed down in the murder case against Jade Janks.
Janks, 39, was accused of murdering her stepdad, Thomas Merriman, co-founder and president of Butterfly Farms in Encinitas, California.
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During the trial, Janks claimed she discovered compromising photos of herself from a decade prior on Merriman’s computer.
Prosecutors said Janks later poisoned Merriman with sleeping pills then suffocated him with a plastic bag.
According to Perez Hilton, the case against Janks was pretty strong — especially due to messages she sent to friends saying things like:
“I just dosed the hell out of him” and “I am about to club him on the head as he is waking up.”
Janks took the stand on Friday and said the messages — in which she asked for help hiding a body — were “taken out of context”. However, under oath she did admit to “covering up” her stepfather’s death, claiming he took too many prescription pills by mistake.
On Wednesday the jury returned with their decision — Janks was found guilty of the first degree murder of the 64-year-old after only one day of deliberation. She faces 25 years to life and will be back in court on April 3 for her hearing.
After the verdict was read, Janks looked shocked and whipped her head around to her attorney. It definitely looks like she wasn’t expecting it! There was plenty of evidence, but we guess maybe she felt like the circumstances would get her more sympathy than they did?
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