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48 Hours on Investigation Discovery will broadcast a riveting rerun from season 37 called Jade Janks and the Secret Photos on September 5, 2024. The episode investigates the mysterious death of Tom Merriman, whose body was discovered in alarming conditions. Viewers will get a thorough review of the events that culminated in Merriman’s death, showing the intricate and strained relations within his family, especially with his stepdaughter, Jade Janks.
Jade Janks is currently serving a 25-year to life sentence at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. She was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her stepfather, Tom Merriman, and was sentenced in March 2023. Her conviction followed a trial where prosecutors argued she was responsible for Merriman's death after drugging him with prescription medications, including Zolpidem.
The evidence presented at trial included text messages and surveillance footage, which suggested premeditation and attempted cover-up of the crime. Janks has maintained her innocence and filed an appeal against her conviction, citing that her actions on the day of Merriman’s death were out of panic and confusion rather than malice. Her appeal is currently ongoing and briefs are being prepared by her appellate counsel.
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What did Jade Janks do?
The case involving Jade Janks centers around the death of her stepfather, Tom Merriman, which occurred in late December 2020 in Solana Beach, California. Merriman, who was 64 at the time of his death, was the CEO of a nonprofit organization called Butterfly Farms and had a close relationship with Janks, his stepdaughter who lived next door.
On December 15, 2020, Merriman was admitted to Scripps Hospital following a fall at home, necessitating treatment for injuries and alcohol withdrawal. During his hospitalization, Jade Janks, an interior designer, discovered explicit photos of herself on Merriman’s computer. These photos, which Janks claimed she had never shared with him, were organized in folders with explicit titles suggesting they were kept without her consent. This discovery reportedly left Janks feeling violated and distressed.
As Merriman was still in the hospital, Janks began preparing for what prosecutors later described as foul play. Surveillance footage captured her buying various items, including gloves, towels, and nylon cords, from a local CVS and a hardware store on December 31, 2020. Prosecutors argued these purchases were part of a “murder kit.”
Merriman was released from the hospital and returned home on December 31. The next significant event occurred on January 1, 2021, when a friend of Janks, Adam Siplyak, informed the San Diego Sheriff's Department that Janks might have killed her stepfather. When authorities arrived at Merriman’s home, they did not initially find him. But on the morning of January 2 his body was discovered in the driveway hidden under a pile of trash and wrapped in a blanket.
Autopsy results showed high levels of prescription drugs, including Zolpidem, in Merriman’s system. Text messages from Janks' phone to a security guard named Alan Roach suggested she had administered these drugs to Merriman. In one message, she stated, "I just dosed the hell out of him." These messages became crucial evidence in her trial.
Where is Jade Janks today?
Janks was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During her trial, she argued that Merriman’s death was accidental, a result of his own drug misuse and her subsequent panic, which led her to hide his body. However, the prosecution presented the case as premeditated murder, which shows the explicit photos as a motive for Janks to harm Merriman.
In December 2022, Jade Janks was found guilty and sentenced in March 2023 to 25 years to life in prison. She is currently incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. She has filed an appeal against her conviction, asserting her innocence and describing her actions as driven by confusion and fear rather than intent to kill.
The details of this case have been revisited in various media, including an episode of 48 Hours titled Jade Janks and the Secret Photos, which is set to re-air on Investigation Discovery on September 5, 2024.
