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Friday, March 29, 2024

Anthony man Baker Acted and jailed over threatening messages

Devan Jacob Merry

A 27-year-old Anthony man was taken into custody under a Baker Act and later arrested for allegedly sending threatening text messages to a woman.

On Jan. 1, the victim showed a Marion County sheriff’s deputy a series of text messages sent by Devan Jacob Merry, of 5045 NE 132nd Place. In the messages, Merry told the victim to kill herself before he killed her, according to the sheriff’s office report.

The deputy responded to Merry’s residence and asked him about the messages, and he said he sent them from his mother’s phone. He said he didn’t mean what he said and that he sent them while he was intoxicated. Merry said he was upset because the victim wouldn’t allow him to see his child. He was Baker Acted and taken to The Vines Hospital, the report said.

After leaving The Vines, the deputy spoke with the victim, who said Merry called his sister and said he was going to slit the victim’s throat and then kill himself. The deputy was unaware of these allegations at the time of the Baker Act, according to the report.

The deputy contacted Merry’s sister and she confirmed he called her and made these statements. While she was on the phone with deputy, she disconnected the phone and couldn’t be reached during several attempts, the report said.

While meeting with the victim at the Marion County Jail, the deputy reviewed the Facebook messages that were sent to her from Merry’s mother’s account. One message said, “Go kill yourself before I do it (expletive deleted),” while another one said, “Trust me you’ll die I’m so (expletive deleted) serious,” according to the report.

Merry was charged Monday with intimidation by writing and sending threats to kill or injure (domestic). He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Feb. 11.