A Salem man will serve 20 years in prison for sodomy, according to a Dent County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office press release.
Donnie Merrell of Salem, was found guilty of first-degree statutory sodomy. He was sentenced Aug. 26 to two decades in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Judge Randall Head presided over the trial. The state was represented by Andrew M. Curley and James Weber. The defendant was represented by Stephen Daniels.
In a statement released from the prosecutor’s office, Prosecutor Curley indicated the victim and her family were pleased with the result and glad the judicial process was concluded.
“I want to thank the sheriff’s department, the victim advocates, the victim and her family,” Curley said. “Due to the nature of the circumstances surrounding these types of cases (child abuse), these trials are tough and feel extremely rewarding at the conclusion. Our children should never be the victims of this type of behavior. If you or someone you know is a victim of child abuse, please tell your parent, school counselor or a law enforcement officer. We are here to help.”
The release details Merrell’s charges were filed as a result of a disclosure to a school counselor and subsequent investigation conducted by the Dent County Sheriff’s Department and Missouri Children’s Division that occurred in the winter of 2016 and continued into the beginning of 2017. The charges were filed by Prosecutor Curley Feb. 3, 2017, as a result of receiving a probable cause statement from Dent County Sheriff’s Detective Rick Letchworth.
At trial June 19 to June 20, the state presented evidence regarding the law enforcement investigation, the child advocacy center forensic interviews and testimony from the victim and the mother of the victim. Merrell and his roommate at the time of the offense also testified. At the conclusion of the trial the jury found Merrell guilty of one count of first-degree statutory sodomy.
The case was then scheduled for sentencing Aug. 26 after the completion of a sentencing assessment report prepared by the Missouri Department of Corrections. Prosecutor Curley recommended incarceration in prison due to the nature of the offense while the defense argued for probation since he lacked a criminal history. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Judge Head sentenced Merrell to 20 years in prison.
