CALIFORNIA – On Monday, Jade Janks, a 39-year-old woman from Solana Beach who was found guilty of murdering her stepfather, Tom Merriman, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
The judge noted that Janks may be eligible for parole in 25 years. During the trial, it was revealed that Janks killed Merriman after discovering hundreds of nude photos of herself on his computer.
“Tom came into my life when I was just a little girl and exerted influence during that early stage of development when I was still figuring things out,” Janks said in court.
“Unfortunately, that influence manifested itself into inappropriate touch, coercion, reckless behavior and complete violation of what I now realize was years of psychological manipulation. All of this came crashing down on me when I found hundreds of naked photos of myself on his computer. I felt shattered,” she added.
“I’m sorry I didn’t act the way I was supposed to that day,” she added. “I think about it every day since. And to Tom’s family, I understand you hate me for what you believe I did to Tom, however, there’s a lot more than you’ll ever understand,” she said.
Several of Merriman’s loved ones, including his brother Patrick Merriman, spoke at the sentencing hearing.
Janks’ defense attorney, Marc Carlos, stated that she did not bring up allegations of abuse during the trial because she maintained her innocence. Carlos plans to file an appeal on Janks’ behalf.
Throughout the trial, Janks claimed that the nude photos were taken when she was between 16 and 26 years old.
Prosecutors argued that she drugged Merriman and strangled him on December 31, 2020, while Janks’ defense claimed that Merriman overdosed on sleeping pills in her car and that she hid his body under a pile of garbage next to his home because she did not want to be held responsible for his death.
