12.19.11: Merritt Sentenced to Additional 5-Plus Years for Participating in Murder, Robbery
December 19, 2011 -- Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Kendra Young Ausby sentenced Lavelva Merritt today to more than five years in prison for violating the terms of her probation when she participated in the robbery and murder of a Johns Hopkins researcher in July 2010.
At the time of the fatal attack on Stephen Pitcairn, Merritt was serving probation for a 2010 narcotics conviction. Last month, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gale E. Rasin sentenced Merritt to 30 years in prison, 15 of those years suspended, and three years of supervised probation for her involvement in the robbery and homicide. At the request of the Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City, the prison time for the probation violation — five years, six months, and 21 days — will be served in addition to, rather than concurrently with, the 30-year sentence.
Late last week, Merritt's co-defendant, John Wagner, also received additional prison time for a probation violation. Already sentenced to life plus 20 years, Wagner received another seven years, eight months, and six days because he was on probation at the time of the murder.
"Thanks to the participation of Mr. Pitcairn's loved ones and the hard work of police and prosecutors, we have removed two very dangerous violent, repeat offenders from our streets. We are gratified by the outcome," State's Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein said.