As the long dark night at last gave way to the morning light, Detective Rosa Patron made the terrible discovery. Buried beneath a pile of cardboard boxes and discarded trash was the still body of Tom Merriman. This discovery was made even more shocking as Tom Merriman was found in his own driveway, his body overlooked again and again by the officers tasked with finding him. He had been there all along.
It was 7:00 a.m. on January 2, 2021. The search which had begun almost 24 hours before was now over. Tom was lying on his right side, covered with with blankets, still clad in pajamas from his recent hospital stay. Tom Merriman was only 64 years old and co-founder of the beautiful and educational Butterfly Farms in Encinitas, California. What could have led to this moment? Who could have done this? And why?
According to the prosecution, it was Tom’s own stepdaughter, Jade Sasha Janks, now 39, who plotted his death after finding nude photographs of herself on Tom’s computer. It was a horrifying revelation. Why would Tom Merriman possess such photographs of his own stepdaughter? And did this unthinkable discovery really lead Jade to murder? At the time of Tom’s death, Jade was 37 years old but had met Tom as a teen when he married Jade’s mother.
The prosecution assured that it did, firmly pronouncing she dosed him with his own medications, put a plastic bag over his head, and then strangled him with her own hands. She planned to have him found in his bed, designed to look like an overdose. “How do we know she murdered him?” asked Deputy District Attorney Jorge Del Portillo in his opening statement to the jury. She confessed to two people, he continued. Addressing Tom Merriman, Del Portillo said, “You are not going to like him. You are not going to like his conduct.” He then asked the jury not to judge Tom Merriman’s character because he was not on trial.
The defense, headed by high-profile attorney Marc Carlos, countered it was Tom Merriman himself who “made his own cocktail” of pills while still having other prescription drugs within his system and fighting ill health. Tom was an alcoholic, abuser of prescription drugs, took narcotics to sleep, and suffered from an extensive list of medical problems. An enlarged heart, arterial fibrillation, kidney and liver dysfunction, which affected how medication left his system, and other afflictions. Carlos argued the medication was not a fatal dose, so the prosecution had to turn to strangulation. Yet the medical examiner did not find any evidence of strangulation or asphyxiation. The photos showed an “obsession, aberrant to all levels,” yet they did not provide a motive to kill, as Jade Janks loved her stepfather, was the only one who took care of him, and would never have hurt him.
The medical examiner found the cause of death to be Acute Zolpidem Intoxication, with the contributing factors of cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) and hepatomegaly (an enlarged liver). Zolpidem is better known as Ambien, a central nervous system depressant used to treat insomnia. As Jade Janks murder trial began in the San Diego courtroom of Judge Robert Kearney, a key question became: How did that Zolpidem get into Tom Merriman’s system?
The prosecution was headed by San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Jorge Del Portillo and Teresa Pham. The defense by Marc Carlos and Michelle Camacho. Would this be a simple case? After all, hadn’t the district attorney said Jade confessed to two people? But were these people speaking the gospel truth or were they merely out to save themselves?
Jade Janks: “We Always Had a Special Bond”
Would Jade Janks take the witness stand in her own defense? Anticipation filled the air, and when Marc Carlos finally called out her name, the very last witness of the trial, the courtroom snapped to attention. Reporters leaned forward in their seats as the Court TV cameras captured her every move. A dark haired and slender beauty, Jade began her testimony, stopping at times to state she was nervous. As I listened, in one respect, I already felt like I knew her. As Jade had been freed on a $1 million bond, she walked about freely during the trial. I saw her in the parking lot, court hallway, and often came face to face with her on court breaks in the ladies restroom. At times, we exchanged polite greetings.
Jade testified she met Tom Merriman when she was 14 years old, when her mother, Jeanette, married Tom. Although Jade lived with her biological father until she was 18, she visited her mother and Tom, and eventually moved in with them to help care for their young son, Cash. Jade was 18 years old at the time. Jade said her mother had problems with drugs and alcohol and also suffered with mental health issues. Her crazy behavior caused them to leave her and they packed up the house, literally leaving in the middle of the night. After their sudden departure, the trio developed a special bond. Jade helped raise Cash and they all lived together for almost five years. She considered Tom family and he referred to her as his daughter.
When Jade was 23, she decided it was time for her to move, feeling Tom had become too dependent upon her. She still maintained contact with Tom, but the days of closeness were over. Then one day Tom called her and told her he had moved onto Nardo Street in Solana Beach. In April of 2020, Jade also moved onto Nardo Street, and they became neighbors. Living “literally next door,” said Jade. She lived at 148 South Nardo and he at 144. By this time, Jade had opened her own interior design business, a profession she loved.
Tom had aged a lot, and seemed sad and alone, said Jade. He started coming over weekly for dinner and Jade began to help him in any way she could. Tom was drinking a lot and was not in good health. “I always acted as a caretaker,” she said, and Tom gave her power of attorney for medical decisions. “We always had a special bond.” She never got along with anyone or trusted anyone as much as Tom, declared Jade. Tom would text and say to her, “No one will ever love you as much as I do.”
Jade Makes a Sickening Discovery
In mid-December, Jade took a trip to Cabo San Lucas. While on vacation, she received a call from Tom. He was hard to understand and said, “They beat me up. They broke my ribs.” She couldn’t understand what he was talking about, but she finally figured out he had fallen. He sent her a text with a photo of a bloody tissue, bloody towels, and a whiskey bottle. She asked him if she needed to come home and he said, “No.”
But then on December 15, 2020, Tom fell again at his home and Jade called paramedics. He was taken to Scripps Hospital in Encinitas, where he was treated for broken ribs and alcohol and Xanax withdrawal. He was then sent to Aviara Healthcare Center to complete his recovery.
On December 23rd, Jade went to Tom’s house to clean it up in anticipation of his return home. As Marc Carlos began taking Jade through this time, her voice started to shake, and tears began to fall. While she was cleaning, she bumped Tom’s computer mouse and his screensaver popped up. There on the screen were female breasts. She soon realized: Those were her breasts! Jade has a beauty mark, and she could see it clearly on the screen. “I couldn’t believe it. I was in complete shock. There’s no way! There’s no way!” she said through sobs.
She looked further into the computer and found a rolling screen of naked photos of herself. It looked like hundreds. Worse yet, he had cropped them and put them into folders. With this, attorney Carlos walked up to the witness stand and handed Jade the printout of the photos. Jade sobbed as she flipped through the pages. But more shocking testimony was to follow. The files had names: “JD Shower,” “JD’s Sn—ch.” When Carlos asked what photo had been cropped, sobbing into a Kleenex, Jade responded, “My vagina.” The betrayal was complete and sickening. “He called me his daughter,” Jade continued as she sobbed even harder.
Carlos then instructed, “Tell this jury how you felt.” With tears in every word, Jade said, “The most violating, gut wrenching feeling ever. I felt sick. I couldn’t even touch my own skin…Not even in a movie have I seen something so sick.” She went on, “I hated him…I wanted him to leave me alone.”
Attorney Carlos then handed the printout of the photos to the jury. Each juror held the printout, some looking long, while others glanced at it for the briefest of seconds as if it was too disturbing to touch before passing it on.
Carlos asked Jade if she had ever given her stepfather naked photos. “NO!” she stated with force. “Did you have an idea where the photos came from?” he then asked. Jade said the photos were from a span of years, from age 16 or 17 up to 25 or 26. She said one photo was of her in the shower where she was smiling. A boyfriend had taken it. Tom had access to her laptop, and she had lost a digital camera and SD card. Now it looked to her like Tom had taken the camera and card. Again, Carlos asked if she had given any photos to him. “No, he was my dad!” exclaimed Jade.
Carlos asked why she didn’t go to the police. She said she didn’t know what that would do, what they would do to him, or what Tom would do to her since they were living next door.
She called her friend Mike who told her to erase the photos, which she did not do, as she started freaking out what would happen if Tom came home and found out she erased the photos. She now feared him even though he was still at the rehab hospital. She told her friend Sarah and they discussed options. She could tell the landlord. Should they call the police?
Jade Janks didn’t know what to do but she was scared. In the days that followed, she couldn’t touch herself or even shower. “I was scared of being nude and vulnerable,” she explained through tears. She began to sleep on the floor on a blue tarp that would make noise should it be stepped upon. She placed a knife nearby. So sickened, she vomited several times.
Not only was Jade emotional on the stand, but on her first court break, I saw her father hugging her tightly in the court hallway as she cried in his arms. Her father was a steadfast support for her throughout the entire trial.
The Prosecution: Jade Janks Reached Out to “The Fixer”
After seeing the photos, Jade didn’t know what to do. Then she remembered her friend, Sam, had told her about a guy he had gone to high school with. His name was Alan Roach, and he did private security. Sam told her if she ever needed help, Alan Roach could help her. So, on December 23rd, the same day she found the photos, Jade looked up Alan Roach on Facebook. At 10:40 a.m. she contacted him via Facebook messenger: “Alan, Sam’s friend?” she wrote. He responded, “Is there something I can do for you?” Their messages continued:
10:55 a.m. “Not sure…Maybe we can meet for lunch or something. Chat in person.”
10:58 a.m. “Awkward situation, not sure how to handle and Sam always said to call you.”
11:04 a.m. “But it’s not Sam related he just said if I ever have a problem to call you but I lost your number and I have a problem.”
11:06 a.m. “Yea we can meet up for sure and this problem, is it a problem with someone you need help with or personal private problem of yours you need my help with?”
11:06 a.m. “Best to chat in person.”
11:08 a.m. “Yea whatever it is if Sam referred me to you then I’m sure I can fix it for you.”
What Was Jade Planning with Alan Roach?
The next day, on December 24th, Jade met with Alan Roach and showed him a thumbnail view of the photographs from Tom’s computer so he could see the gravity of the matter. She had him stand guard outside her bathroom so she could at last shower. He also gave her advice about security cameras as Jade had determined she would install cameras at the house. But soon she decided she needed a plan.
On December 26th she texted Alan, “Hopefully we can figure out a plan cuz I imagine you are too busy to come watch me shower every day.”
On December 28th, she sent a text stating she was waiting for the hospital to contact her, adding, “I think the time to come up with a plan is fast approaching.”
Two days later, on December 30th, she wrote, “I think it’s time to tighten up a plan.”
But what was Jade actually planning with Alan Roach?
According to Jade, the plan was for her to pick up Tom from the rehabilitation hospital, have Alan Roach meet them at Tom’s home where Jade would confront Tom about the photographs, demand he permanently delete them from his computer, and instruct him to move away.
But according to the prosecution, the plan was much darker. And, final.
It was a plan for cold, hard murder. And that is why she reached out to Alan Roach, whom the prosecution gave the ominous name, “The Fixer.”
To continue reading about what happened in this gripping and unbelievable trial, please go to Aleida K. Wahn’s book, THE FORBIDDEN PHOTOS & A DEADLY REVENGE? The Jade Janks Trial. Aleida, an attorney, true crime writer, and legal analyst was inside the courtroom for every minute of the trial. She now takes you into the courtroom and beyond the salacious headlines to reveal what really happened, detailing it all, from the shocking facts to the dramatic end. Order your copy today at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPVMZ5QP
About Aleida K. Wahn, Esq.
I am an attorney, award-winning true crime writer, and legal analyst of criminal cases. I cover criminal trials and write stories and books about compelling, gripping, and unforgettable cases that impact our world. I take you into the courtroom in high-profile murder trials, rape cases, crimes of passion, cases involving mental illness, deviant behavior, and more. I have a deep passion for true crime, criminal law, and all aspects of the criminal justice system. I have appeared as an expert on true crime shows, including “48 Hours,” “Snapped,” and “The Dead Files,” and provided legal analysis on high-profile criminal trials on Court TV, the Law & Crime Trial Network, Fox 5 News, ABC 10 News, and KUSI News. I also create and host shows with the Del Mar Television Producers Group, addressing criminal justice and social issues in recent criminal trials.
I provided my insight and legal analysis on Court TV and the Law & Crime Trial Network of the high-profile trial of former NFL star Kellen Winslow Jr. It was a trial that captured the nation as the heralded ex-football star with fame, fortune, and a famous name stood accused of multiple rapes and other sex crimes involving five women. As the trial delved into shocking facts, complicated legal issues, and unexpected twists and turns, I was there for every minute. After the trial, I wrote a book on the case, going behind the headlines to share the extraordinary details of what happened inside the courtroom. Judging Winslow Jr.: From NFL Star to Serial Rapist? Inside the Shocking Rape Trial of Kellen Boswell Winslow II is now available on Amazon.
I am passionate about telling true crime stories, as these penetrating stories have the power to move us all, while highlighting societal issues which need to be addressed. I have personally seen the human devastation which is present in each trial and believe there is a lesson to be learned in every single case. It is through awareness and examining critical issues society can effect change and even make new laws. To learn more, please visit: https://www.aleidalaw.com.
Read about the gripping and unforgettable trials that I have covered in my latest books:
