- December 16, 2025
William Carson Merrill, 32, shot his wife with an AK-47; he was charged with manslaughter.
With their 3-year-old daughter taking a bath, William Carson Merrill, 32, shone the laser of his AK-47 assault rifle at his wife’s chest while she was standing near the tub. They had been talking about how bright it was, he later told detectives.
Then, the gun accidentally fired, he said. A bullet entered Stefanie Merrill, 30, in the chest and exited her back. Later on the morning of Feb. 21, at their home on a quiet street in Palm Coast, paramedics pronounced her dead on the floor of the master bathroom.
A deputy took the toddler out of the bathtub and wrapped her in a white robe. The deputy reported: “The child appeared to be calm and kept saying, ‘That’s my mommy.’”
The evening before, Stefanie Merrill was seen by those in the neighborhood playing with her two children, ages 3 and 6. Five stickers representing the family of four and their dog, Barker, were displayed on the rear windshield of a black Toyota Tundra that was parked in the driveway at 94 Covington Lane.
The charging affidavit reports that Carson Merrill called 911 to report the incident. The 6-year-old was at school at the time. Both children are now in the custody of their grandparents, in Palm Coast. The dog is at the Humane Society for safe keeping.
An autopsy confirmed Stefanie Merrill died from a single gunshot wound. The death was ruled a homicide.
Carson Merrill has a criminal history, including a felony conviction in 2007. He also was charged with domestic battery against his wife in 2006. In an interview in 2006, Stefanie Merrill reported that her husband had easy access to firearms; the day of her death, deputies recovered 25 firearms from the home.
Deputies arrested Carson Merrill at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 23, on charges of manslaughter with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His bail was set at $200,000.
