Murder charges filed against Morehouse man

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control announces additional charges have been filed against James A. Merritt, 32, of Morehouse, who was arrested and initially charged Thursday with trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Haley Decker, 18, of Normal, Illinois, was reported missing on March 4, to the Normal Police Department.

Decker was found deceased on March 26 in the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge in rural Pulaski County, Illinois.

On Thursday, investigators from the patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, Illinois State Police, and the FBI executed a search warrant at Merritt’s residence located on Marshall Street in Morehouse.

As a result of the investigators’ search, the New Madrid County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office formally charged Merritt with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and tampering with physical evidence on Monday.

Merritt remains in custody at the Mississippi County Detention Center with no bond.

The additional charges are the result of an ongoing investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Illinois State Police and the FBI.

The patrol was assisted by the Normal, Illinois, Police Department, as well as the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office, Sikeston Department of Public Safety and Cape Girardeau and Morehouse police departments.