Matthew Mercer pleaded guilty today (Aug. 17) in the shooting death of his son Brady Lee Mercer.
District Attorney Jon David said Mercer pleaded guilty to second degree murder, and received a sentence of 23 to 28.5 years in prison. Superior Court Judge Quinton McGee handed down the sentence.
The killing occurred Sept. 29. 2023 at the family home on Elroy Mercer Road Chadbourn. Brady and his father had argued over a truck, according to the sheriff’s office. Mercer retrieved a firearm from his porch and shot the youth in the cab of the vehicle, where his sister found him. She called 911, David said, but the youth died at the scene.
The youth had bought a Chevrolet Avalanche against his father’s wishes a short time before the killing, family members said at the time. The youth was planning to drive the truck to the West Columbus football game when he was killed.
His grandmother Sandy Tyler said Brady bought the truck in secret with his own money. Matthew Mercer had recently won custody of Brady in court, but the youth was planning to leave home, Tyler said.
“Matthew was going to take that truck from Brady, like he did everything else,” Tyler said shortly after the murder. “Brady went outside to sit in the truck, and his daddy shot him.” The victim’s sister ran down the road to a neighbor to call 911, Tyler said.
She said Brady “loved his father” even after Matthew broke the youth’s nose. Tyler said the killing was the culmination of years of abuse that contributed to her daughter, Brady’s mother Megan Iseman, going to prison. Matthew Mercer gained full custody of the couple’s children when Iseman began serving time.
“No one would listen to her,” Tyler said. “Nobody believed her. He didn’t hit the girls (Brady’s older and younger sisters) but Megan just couldn’t take it anymore.”
Brady had been an up-and-coming football player at WCHS, playing JV ball the year before his death. He wanted to play despite a broken hand that Tyler said was caused by his father. While he was offered a slot on the varsity team in 2023, he instead opted out due to “family problems.”
“His daddy was the problem,” she said. “Brady went to school with a broken nose, and another time with a broken hand. His daddy hurt him, but the real reason he didn’t play is because his daddy wouldn’t let him.”
Troy M. Cronk was appointed to defend Mercer. The state was represented by Courtney Sanford and Jason Minnecozzi.
