Man sentenced to 7 years for stalking, shooting into Cobb County home over deceased ex-girlfriend’s estate

After pleading guilty to several charges related to an incident where he shot into an east Cobb home, Anthony Merriwether, will serve seven years behind bars.

According to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office, Merriwether, 66, entered a plea deal last week. Cobb Superior Court Judge Jason Marbutt accepted the plea and sentenced the Dunwoody man to 15 years, seven of which will be served in prison.

According to the D.A.’s office, police responded to a call on the night of May 6, 2022 after a woman saw an armed person in the front yard of her home on Indian Hills Parkway. 

One of the home’s windows was shattered and a bullet had traveled through the walls into the kitchen. The suspect, Merriwether, was seen on home video camera footage driving to the home, stepping out of the car with two guns and “making verbal threats for money.”

Prosecutors said Merriwether was the ex-boyfriend of the victim’s deceased sister. When the sister died, the victim and Merriwether were in a dispute over her estate. The victim sold her sister’s home and gave a portion of the sale to Merriwether, but he felt he was owed the entire estate.

Following the shooting, police pulled over Merriwether on Johnson Ferry Road. They found two guns and cocaine in his vehicle, and arrested him. Merriwether posted bond and was released after his arrest, but continued to contact and make death threats toward the victim, violating a “no contact” condition of his bond. He was arrested again and charged with aggravated stalking.

According to the D.A’s office, Merriwether’s deal included pleaded guilty to discharge of gun near highway or street, reckless conduct, criminal damage to property in the first and second degrees, possession of cocaine, possession of firearm during commission of a felony, terroristic threats, criminal attempt to commit theft by extortion, aggravated stalking, and possession of firearm by a convicted felon.