Last Thursday, May 25, the Coffee County Grand Jury indicted Caleb Barrett, 21, for malice murder and felony murder in the death of Lea Jovan Merritt of Douglas, according to a statement from the Douglas Police Department that was posted on the Coffee County Ga. Police Scanner Facebook page. Merritt was Barrett’s sister.
Merritt was shot and killed at 505 North College Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. Barrett was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016. Barrett did not spend much time in jail and has been out ever since. Merritt was shot in the backyard of the residence at the College Avenue address. She was taken to Coffee Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.