Doctor pleads guilty in Logan Goodall abuse death
April 8, 2008 by ElfNinosMom
Dr. John Merrifield, father of Michael Merrifield - the man convicted of molesting and murdering two-year-old Logan Shane Goodall - has pleaded no contest to a charge of gross neglect, with regard to charges that he failed to report the abuse of the toddler. The charge is a felony. Dr. Merrifield faces one to five years in prison, and/or a $3000 fine. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors will drop charges against his wife, Diane Merrifield.
If Dr. Merrifield gets only a fine with no prison time, there is no justice, considering the ridiculous nature of the injuries he treated on little Logan, and failed to report. Had he reported the injuries, chances are Logan would still be alive. Only a prison sentence is just and proper in these circumstances.
From the Charleston Daily Mail:
[Prosecutor Don Morris] said that on Aug. 13, Merrifield treated the toddler for a torn scrotum, stitching the wound.
“The defendant himself had questions about the nature of that injury,” Morris said. “We would have shown medical records where he made the notation ‘A fall?’”
Morris said the child suffered another injury Aug. 15 - burns to his buttocks and heels that the state Medical Examiner would have testified were not caused by pool chemicals as some suggested.
“He would have testified that those burns were consistent with immersion burns,” Morris said. “Michael Merrifield gave the explanation that Logan sat in pool chemicals, but we have people from the apartment complex who would say that did not occur and could not occur.
“Even the defendant did not believe that story,” Morris said.
Of Dr. Merrifield, Morris said, “He chose not to let someone know the child was being abused. And that abuse led to serious bodily injury and his death.”
i do not think that that doc should even be a doctor, wat doctor lets that go on and dosent do anything to stop it that could be my child he shouldnt be a doc at all, he is just at fault bc he knew he knew wat was going on and did nothing about it why? its so messed up i live down the street form logan omg i cant beleave that anyone would do such a thing to a baby thats so wrong
Well here we go again with Michael Merrifield. Life without mercy, I certainly hope that no mercy means he will be held in General Population while in prison, and is given NO MERCY by fellow inmates. And AGAIN, Dr. Merrifield is standing by his son declaring that the media tried and convicted him two years ago and that his son is not the MONSTER that the media have made him out to be. For Heavens Sake do the Merrifields EVER ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS????? Again I will say that I feel that Pepper Eren is as responsible if not more responsible seeing that she was Logan’s mother and should spend the rest of her life in prision and never have the opportunity to bear more children.