A woman has been accused of murdering her stepfather after she found out he had nude photos of her on his computer.

Thomas Merriman's body was discovered in January 2021 under a pile of trash at the home he shared with his stepdaughter Jade Janks in Solana Beach, California.

Last week, 39-year-old Janks' murder trial began in Vista Superior Court, The New York Post reported.

Prosecutors argued that Janks, an interior designer, drugged and strangled Merriman after discovering he had a nude photo of her as a screensaver on his computer. The images were taken by Janks and her former partner several years ago. It is not known how Merriman came to have access to them.

Credit: interiorsjade.com

She has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her 64-year-old stepfather, who prosecutors said died after overdosing on sleeping pills Janks had given him after she discovered the pictures.

"This was no accident," San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Jorge Del Portillo said, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "This was murder by design."

Two of Janks' friends told the jury that they went to her apartment after her stepdad suffered a fall in December 2020. They said they helped Merriman into a car before he was taken to hospital.

Janks discovered the photos while she was cleaning her stepfather's home, who was still in hospital at the time, the court heard.

Prosecutors said a text message exchange saw the defendant communicating with a man about giving Merriman the sleeping pills.

"I just dosed the hell out of him. Stopping for whiskey then at Dixieland to stall. LMK," Janks was said to have texted the day she picked Merriman up from the hospital, according to Del Portillo.

In the messages that followed, Janks seemed reluctant to carry out her alleged plan to kill Merriman.

“He’s waking up,” one alleged text read. “I really don’t want to be the one to do this.”

“I am about to club him on the head as he is waking up,” another read.

Janks later called another person for help, prosecutors told the court.

Her friend, Adam Siplyak, testified in court that she had told him Merriman's body was in the trunk of her car on New Year's Eve 2020. According to Siplyak, Janks had asked him for help moving the body to Merriman's room.

“She said, ‘I killed him, and he’s in the back of my 4Runner,’” Siplyak told the jury. “I said, ‘I can’t help you … no way, I’m out of here. I have a son to raise.’”

The following day, he spoke to law enforcement.

Police then searched the apartment and discovered Merriman's body under a pile of boxes, blankets and other trash as they were on their way out of the home.

Janks' own lawyers argue that their client is innocent and claim Merriman had actually died from poor health and "his own cocktail" of drugs.

“You will not find any evidence that he was strangled to death,” Janks' attorney, Marc Carlos told the court.

Featured image credit: Christian Horz / Alamy

The interior designer accused of drugging and killing her former stepdad after finding nude photos of herself on his computer has been found guilty.

On Wednesday (December 21), Jade Janks was convicted of the first-degree murder of Thomas Merriman after the Vista, California jury deliberated for less than a day.

According to the New York Post, throughout the trial, the 39-year-old woman maintained her innocence, insisting that she did not strangle her 64-year-old stepfather to death on December 31, 2020.

Janks claimed in court that he died of an illness but also confessed that she was mortified when she discovered more than 100 naked pictures of herself on his computer, per The San Diego Union-Tribune.

"This was no accident," Deputy District Attorney Jorge Del Portillo told jurors in the North County Superior Court. "This was murder by design."

The naked pictures in question were taken more than a decade ago by Janks, who she consensually shared with her then-boyfriend. Some of the photos were also from when she was as young as 16, it has been reported.

However, it was unclear how Merriman - who divorced Janks' mother in 2008 after 13 years - came to possess the private pictures. According to CBS8, one of the photos was apparently his screensaver.

Janks told most of her friends that Merriman - a local butterfly activist - had passed away from cancer, but in text messages to others confessed to murdering him with an overdose of pills.

Prosecutors informed the jury that Janks found the pictures when she went to her former step-father's office to clean it after he had been hospitalized.

The lawyers also revealed the messages she sent where she wrote that she "dosed the hell out of him" after picking him up from the hospital. "I am about to club him on the head as he is waking up," Janks added when he woke up, per the New York Post.

Janks took the stand after the text messages were revealed and said that they were taken out of context - while her attorney explained they were "all subject to interpretation".

However, she admitted that she planned to confront Merriman over the photos and said that she poured an alcoholic drink over the computer and took the hard drive out.

In court, Janks denied hiring anyone to murder her stepfather, wanting him dead, giving him substances, or strangling him herself.

She also admitted under oath that she covered up his death - hiding him under a pile of trash in the driveway - because she knew she was his last known acquaintance, saying: "I didn't want to get blamed for killing him," as reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

After the guilty verdict ruling, Janks' lawyer Marc Carlos spoke to the media and still pressed that there was "zero" evidence to verify that she had strangled her ex-step-father.

The Daily Mail reported that Merriman's cause of death was determined to be acute intoxication of zolpidem - also known as the sleep aid Ambien. His lifeless body was found under a pile of cardboard boxes in his driveway on January 2, 2021.

During the trial, Janks' legal team made sure to condemn Merriman - who struggled with alcohol abuse and addictions - for his behavior towards his step-daughter.

"Jade Janks loved her stepfather," he said, per the outlet. "Tom Merriman loved Jade Janks. Unfortunately, Tom Merriman was a troubled individual, and he loved her in different ways."

Janks now faces a 25 years-to-life sentence, with a hearing set for April 3.

Featured image credit: O. Chip Robinson / Alamy

A woman who is accused of dismembering her lover during a "drug-fuelled sex game" attacked her attorney in the courtroom as he defended her.

Taylor Schabusiness, 25, was arrested in February 2022 and is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and third-degree sexual assault in the killing of 25-year-old Shad Thyrion, per the Mirror.

Authorities claim that Schabusiness strangled Thyrion and then sexually abused him before decapitating and dismembering him, leaving parts of his body around the home and in a vehicle.

The alleged murderer, who is reportedly married, pleaded not guilty to the charges and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Watch the shocking courtroom footage below:

Schabusiness was previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has received mental health treatment since she was a 7th grader, as revealed by her attorney.

Despite pleading her innocence, authorities claim that during their investigation last year, Schabusiness told them that they were "going to have fun trying to find all of the organs."

Officers found body parts throughout the home, which included a penis found in a bucket as well as a pot filled with human remains in her van.

The alleged incident took place at Thyrion's mother's house, where it is claimed that the duo was high on methamphetamine.

A bucket was found with a beach towel covering the top, and when it was removed by police officers they found a severed human head inside.

Police said, via the Mirror: "Schabusiness made the comment that at one point, she did get paranoid and lazy and that she thought it was the ‘dope’ that was making her paranoid."

They also added that the accused killer allegedly told them that she enjoyed abusing the body of the 25-year-old deceased male.

Police found Schabusiness at home covered in blood, and she admitted to the use of drugs and that she and Thyrion went to his mother's home to have sex "using chains," as reported by the New York Post.

She reportedly admitted that she didn't intend on killing the 25-year-old, but it's also alleged that she revealed that she sat on the victim and watched him die as he coughed up blood.

After being found competent to stand in front of the Wisconsin court, Schabusiness entered the courtroom this week where she was informed that her March 6 trial had been delayed by two weeks so her attorney, Quinn Jolly, could have extra time to review evidence to see whether his client was fit to be in a courtroom.

Moments after this decision was made, Schabusiness rushed her attorney and, despite being handcuffed, managed to hit him over the head.

A security guard quickly intervened and wrestled the 25-year-old to the ground, where she continued to struggle before backup arrived.

Jolly was unharmed in the incident, and the courtroom was cleared before the hearing was allowed to resume.

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A Las Vegas porn star has been accused of beheading her partner so that she could be with his son.

Devyn Michaels, 45, once known in the industry as Nikki Fairchild and Tracee Tavarez, stands accused of killing her partner, 47-year-old Johnathan Willette.

In August 2023, Henderson police discovered Willette’s headless body wrapped in a sheet inside his home.

According to CBS Austin, his severed head was missing, and investigators said chemicals had been poured over the corpse in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.

The smell of chemicals filled the air, and fumes emanated from the remains.

There were no signs of forced entry, suggesting Willette may have known and willingly let his killer inside.

“This wasn’t random,” Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani told the court.

“It was personal.”

Detectives later concluded that Michaels may have taken the head to her home in Las Vegas and disposed of it in a trash bin later collected by sanitation crews.

The head and murder weapon have never been found.

Devyn Michaels, 45, was charged with murder in connection to the death of 47-year-old Johnathan Willette in August 2023. Credit: Henderson Police Department

A Twisted Motive Emerges

Prosecutors allege Michaels committed the murder so she could start a new life with her children and her secret husband - Willette’s adult son, Deviere.

“This is the future that she saw and that she wanted,” Giordani told jurors this week.

“And the only way to have that future was with John out of the picture.”

According to CBS 8, Willette had allegedly been considering reconciling with Michaels but planned to move his son Deviere out of the house, potentially disrupting Michaels' desired future.

Police found Willette’s body wrapped in a sheet on his bed. Credit: GoFundMe

Defense Points the Finger at the Victim’s Son

Michaels, who initially accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder in 2024, later withdrew her guilty plea in July.

“I know right now no one in the family is going to believe me,” she said at the time.

“I know right now no one in the family feels that I am innocent at any point, and I understand that, but I can actually prove my innocence. I actually can. And I'm not going to stop fighting to prove my innocence."

Now, she faces first-degree murder charges and a potential life sentence if convicted.

Her attorney, Robert Draskovich, insists the wrong person is on trial.

He claimed in court that it was Deviere Willette, not Michaels, who had the motive and the know-how to commit the crime without leaving a trace.

“Look at the motivations, and find her not guilty,” Draskovich told the jury.

He argued that Deviere, a home-security installer, “hated his father” and was about to lose his place in the home.

But prosecutors have never named Deviere a suspect. He testified in court and, when asked if he killed his father, responded plainly: “No, sir.”

The trial is expected to continue for several weeks. Jurors will hear testimony from family members, review forensic evidence and cellphone data, and examine graphic crime scene photos.

Prosecutors are aiming to prove premeditated, first-degree murder - a charge that carries a mandatory life sentence under Nevada law.

Featured image credit: Henderson Police Department

A nine-year-old girl shared some heartbreaking words with her grandfather about the man accused of murdering her before her tragic death.Justin Laurens Stein is accused of murdering Charlise Mutten on or around January 12, 2022, at Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains, Australia, as reported by The Guardian.The 33-year-old - who has pleaded not guilty - was in a relationship with Charlise’s mother, Kallista Mutten, at the time of her murder.According to ABC News, it is alleged that Stein shot the nine-year-old girl in the head and back with a firearm before putting her body in a barrel, which was discovered on the banks of the Colo River four days after she was reported missing to police.Justin Laurens Stein is accused of murdering nine-year-old Charlise Mutten. Credit: Csreed / GettyThe schoolgirl's grandfather, Clinton Mutten, appeared as the first witness in the NSW Supreme Court trial, which is expected to last six weeks.Charlise lived with her grandparents in Tweeds Heads since she was four after her mother - who was a long-term drug user - was unable to care for her."Kallista realized that she wasn't providing adequate care and she was quite happy for Charlise to come and live with us," the grandfather told the court.Clinton revealed that he had a strong relationship with his late granddaughter, and said that she rarely needed discipline.He shared that she excelled in school, loved reading, was "self-motivated" when it came to extracurricular activities, and often spoke about her dreams of becoming a veterinarian surgeon because of her love for animals.Clinton also told the jury that Charlise was "excited" to travel to Sydney to spend time with her mother and Stein over the 2021-22 Christmas break.He said that Charlise would have video calls with her mother, describing their relationship as "unconditional and very loving".Mutten also heartbreakingly revealed that his late granddaughter "really liked" Stein, her accused murderer, and asked him if Stein "would be a good dad".Charlise was discovered on the banks of the Colo River four days after she was reported missing. Credit: Jenny Evans / GettyThe courtroom was told the suspect searched "Colo River" on Google before allegedly dumping the barrel down an embankment before returning to Mount Wilson at 4:22AM on January 15.According to the publication, a toxicology report revealed that there were traces of Stein's schizophrenia medication in the little girl's system.Furthermore, defense barrister Carolyn Davenport SC disclosed in the court that the alleged murderer had changed his account several times because he had initially been trying to protect Kallista."'Charlise was killed... by her mother... near a chicken shed on the property," Davenport said. "He didn't know what happened to the child, he disposed of the body... he didn't put the body in the barrel but he did dispose of it."Davenport claimed that evidence would show it was Charlise’s mother who had a motive to carry out the killing, rather than Stein, The Guardian reported.The trial is expected to run for six weeks.Our thoughts are with Charlise's loved ones at this time.Featured image credit: Joosep Martinson / Getty