A dentist practicing on St. Simon's Island, Georgia, has been accused of fatally shooting his boyfriend in his home in Gainesville, a suburban town northeast of Atlanta.
The Hall County Sheriff's Office charged Suzanne Rennie Merrickle, 61, with murder, tampering with evidence, assault on a spouse or family member, possession of a firearm on a crime committee, driving under influence and possession of a firearm in a traffic-related claim.
Sheriff's Office officials first responded to the Bayridge Drive home in Gainesville at about 1:15am on March 8th.
Deputies found an unresponsive man identified as 68-year-old David Baron in his bedroom. He was shot in the torso, according to the sheriff's office.
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Suzanne Mericle, owner of Mericle Dentistry on St. Simon's Island, Georgia, is charged with murder. (Facebook/Mericle Dentistry)
Authorities took Baron to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.
Mericle has been accused of shooting Baron with a handgun.
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Suzanne Merricle has been accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend at her Gainesville, Georgia home. (Hall County Sheriff's Office)
“They were in a relationship and they lived together in the residence. Mericle was at home when deputies arrived,” the sheriff's office said in a press release posted to Facebook.
Mericle owns dental practices on the wealthy coastal Georgia town of St. Simon's Island, a popular holiday destination among Georgia locals and out-of-state visitors. Mericle Dentistry has a 4.8 star rating on Google with 180 reviews, and the practice slogan is “Anything can be done in a miracle.”
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Mericle Dentistry in St. Simon's Island, Georgia has a passionate review on Google. (Google Maps)
“I missed seeing Suzan [sic] But there was a very nice male doctor there who always gave me the option to fix the front teeth of my chips,” one patient wrote around the time of Mericle's arrest.
Other patients have posted a passionate review of Mericle, describing the guest as “very comfortable and secure” and describing the business owner as “very friendly and efficient.”
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Mericle owned a dental practice on the wealthy coastal Georgia town of St. Simon's Island, a popular holiday destination.
“Suzanne and I have known each other for many years!” wrote one reviewer. “She has been a dentist in my family for many years. I also had the privilege of providing pediatric care to her children. She is also a dear friend. Like me, Suzanne is extremely devoted to her children and her profession. She is a wonderful woman I admire and admire.
Many other reviews describe Mericle as friendly and professional.
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Merrill is being held unconfined in Hall County. (Facebook/Mericle Dentistry)
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Merrill is being held unconfined in Hall County. The case is under investigation.
