Jonathan Weathers
A Mercer County grand jury issued two murder indictments last week.
Jonathan Weathers, 26, was indicted on charges of murder, robbery and tampering with a witness in connection with the death of 60-year-old Stephen Merrill.
Weathers is accused of severely beating Merrill during a robbery on August 2, 2016. Merrill was found suffering from a brain bleed, a collapsed lung and multiple broken bones on Lamberton Street around 3 a.m.
Officials say Weathers took Merrill’s wallet, cellphone and Fitbit during the assault.
Merrill died at the hospital a few weeks later.
While Weathers was in jail, prosecutors say, he contacted a witness in the case and told them to recant their statement regarding the robbery and not go to court. For that, Weathers was charged with tampering with a witness.
Weathers remains in jail on $1 million bail.
A grand jury also indicted 16-year-old Danny Saad for the death of Carlos Leiva-Oviedo, who was fatally stabbed near the intersection of Hudson and Genesee streets on the morning of June 14, 2016.
Surveillance video helped police identify Saad, from Newark, as a suspect in the case. Saad was charged with murder and related weapons offenses, and was waived to adult court.
Saad remains in the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center.