A dentist in Georgia was arrested for allegedly shooting her partner to death in a bedroom at their shared home on March 8, according to a press release dated March 9 from the Hall County Sheriff's Office.
Dr. Suzanne Renee Mericle. Image courtesy of the Hall County Sheriff's Office.
Dr. Suzanne Renee Mericle, 61, of Mericle Dentistry in St. Simons Island, GA, was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault under the Family Violence Act, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Mericle is being held in the county jail without bond since her arrest on March 8, according to a release posted on social media by the sheriff's office.
At about 1 a.m. on March 8, authorities responded to a Gainesville, GA, home and found an unresponsive man who had been shot in his torso in a bedroom. The man -- who was identified James Barron, 68 -- was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities.
The initial investigation revealed that Mericle allegedly shot Barron with a handgun. Mericle and Barron were in a relationship and lived together at the home. When authorities arrived, Mericle was at the residence, according to the release.
What led to the shooting has not been disclosed by authorities. The case remains under investigation, according to the press release.
