1990-05-22

Douglas Palmer and his co-indictees had conspired with John Peter Garcia to fraudulently take property from Garcia's mobile home so that he could avoid contributing a portion of his possessions to his divorced spouse.  The six youths drove to what they thought was Garcia's home, but they turned left at the wrong automobile dealership and inadvertently arrived at the home of Hilton Merriman instead.

Douglas Palmer and two of his co-indictees entered the mobile home unarmed, believing that the house was unoccupied.  When Mr. Merriman surprised them in the darkened house and hit Douglas Palmer with a flashlight, the three beat and kicked Mr. Merriman with their fists and feet.  Mr. Merriman was still alive and breathing when they fled the scene.  His body was discovered about 36 hours later.|