Gee, ya think?
Hey; the government gave him anger management counseling. What more do you guys want?
Merhi had two children, 12 and 10, who were not present at the time of the attack and are now with family members, Morganelli said.
Zernhelt, who lived next door, ran to the house after hearing screams coming from inside. “He was a good Samaritan looking to assist the other victims,” said Lt. Brian Tobin, commander of Troop M criminal investigations in Bethlehem.
Ballard, originally from Arkansas, received a 10 to 20 year sentence in 1992 after pleading guilty to third degree murder for killing an Allentown man, Donald C. Richard. Ballard, then 18, stabbed Richard, 56, six times and slashed his throat twice inside Richard’s apartment in the 200 block of N.12 Street before taking his wallet and car. He fled to Arkansas, where he was captured. In his possession were documents then Lehigh County District Attorney Robert Steinberg said linked Ballard to the Ku Klux Klan and its Reading office.
Court documents reveal Ballard served most of his prison sentence, first at the State Correctional Facility at Frackville, and then at Rockview near State College. It’s unclear when he was released. Morganelli said he believed it was a few months ago.
Morganelli declined to discuss a motive. A neighbor, Rebecca Germani, said there had been “prior incidents” between Ballard and Merhi’s family and that she had recently contacted Northampton police. Germani, who described Ballard as Merhi’s “former boyfriend,” said she knew Ballard had served time in prison for a previous murder.
“I don’t know how he got out. He only did 15 years prior for slashing somebody’s throat,” Germani said.
Merhi, who was divorced, worked as a medical assistant.
A Ballard relative, Vera Cody, 74, of Salisbury, said she felt “sick” after learning of the charges against him.
“They never should have let him out of prison,” Cody said.
Ballard, then 18, stayed with Cody briefly in 1991 before she told him to leave just prior to the Richard murder.
“Why did they release him from prison?” she repeated again.
Reporters Devon Lash and Pam Lehman contributed to this story.
Copyright © 2010, The Morning Call
Comments (7)Add / View comments | Discussion FAQ
one of those at 1:50 PM June 28, 2010
Wow!!! I’m very impressed with this sad news. And so far “Michael Eric Ballard” is the suspect of the quadruple homicide.... uffff...he didn’t kill one but 4.....poor people..Even in good communities crimes like these happen..........Oh well....
Paul P at 1:22 PM June 28, 2010
He should never see the light of day again. He belongs with the rest of the monkeys in prison.
Mordecai at 1:53 AM June 28, 2010
Don’t tell me this was yet another girl who was turned-on by “bad boys”. They dismiss men who respect them and treat them right, in favor of generating living soap operas with jailbirds, musicians, alcoholics, and bums.