Yakima herald obituaries

Hey everyone! Sorry for the length and any formatting issues. I wanted to compile all the information I found into one document, especially since this took place in the 80's - 90's there wasn't a full summary of this case anywhere online. I know it's really long, but I felt all the details and nitty gritty was important to include. I watch way too much true crime, and was browsing New Hampshire cold cases online. One that stood out to me was Patrick Merrill. I am from Plymouth, and before seeing his case I wasn't aware of it happening. The man who did this to Patrick is apparently still alive, and I feel passionately that Patrick's family deserves justice and closure.
Patrick Merrill was a 21-year-old freshman Plymouth State College student from New York who went missing on April 6, 1978, last seen on Route 3, near downtown Plymouth. He is still listed as a missing person. At the time of his disappearance, he was living in the Bradford Manor student rooming house. Patrick’s family described him as having a heavy beard, light mustache, bright blue eyes, a scar on his nose, a false front tooth, reddish-auburn hair, 5’9” (an additional article I found stated 5’11” and 130-140 pounds (Valley News, Apr 23, 1987). In 2023, he would be 57.
Photo from WMUR News 9
I have searched the web and old newspaper articles related to his case, and it is infuriating to say the least. Merrill was last seen at 7:30pm on April 6th, 1987, getting into George Pregent’s (40 at the time) green Mercury Comet with VT plates. Pregent was a resident of Keene, NH. Merrill met Pregent in February 1987 while hitchhiking from the University of MA to Plymouth, NH. He collected (newspapers say anywhere from $6,000 - $13,000) from his friends to buy 10lbs of marijuana from Pregent and was never seen again after entering Pregent’s car. According to Merrill’s sister, he was a casual marijuana user and was not involved with dealing before this incident. Also, according to his sister, Merrill was conducting the deal for friends at UMass, and possibly PSC students, and expected to profit $2,000. Merrill’s Mother felt that he would not voluntarily go missing, as his father was terminally ill with cancer (The Burlington Free Press, Jul 7, 1987).
On April 13, 1987, Pregent, along with David Langlois (20, VT) were arrested in Rumney, NH, (driving the same Mercury Comet that Merrill was last seen in, which was impounded upon Pregent’s arrest), and arrested on possession of controlled substance with intent to sell. Pregent was taken into custody at Grafton County jail and refused to speak about Merrill (Valley News, Apr 23, 1987). According to the Concord Monitor (May 27, 1987) Pregent was living in “the 1875 House” (618 Fairground Rd, Plymouth, NH) at the time (contradicts the other article stating he is a Keene, NH or Proctor, VT resident), and was arrested on theft of services, between April 4 – 6th he used a false name and address to avoid paying for car repairs. Pregent’s record dates back to the 1960’s and is described by police as a career criminal (The Boston Globe, May 1990).
On July 10, 1987, while awaiting trial for theft of service charges in Merrimack County Jail, Pregent escaped through a skylight after cutting the bars with a smuggled hacksaw blade (Concord Monitor, Jul 11, 1987). I was not able to locate information about Pregent’s capture or return to prison. Previously, In 1976, Pregent escaped from a Burlington, VT prison while serving time for the theft of 32 Volkswagens. He was caught in Boston, MA in September 1978. Pregent was paroled in 1981, and then became a teacher at Lamoille Union High School until he was arrested in December 1984 for planning a break-in and theft at Copley Hospital pharmacy. He was imprisoned for this, and again paroled in December 1986 (The Burlington Free Press, Jul 7, 1987). In 1990 Pregent was jailed in North Carolina on forgery convictions (The Boston Globe, May 1990).
A week after Merrill’s disappearance a Jeep owned by Pregent was believed to be seen in Proctor, VT, close to a bog. This bog, “Proctor Bog” is near West Mountain, about 1.5 miles up a trail on Cain Street off an old logging road. This trail is also referred to as “High Ledge” by area locals (Rutland Daily Herald, May 1990.). Pregent (no date provided) formerly lived in Proctor. In 1987 a gallon plastic jar containing decomposed hand palms and foot soles was found in another wooded area in Proctor that Pregent was known to frequent. Merrill has a relatively rare blood type (AB), the skin from the jug was tested and matches Merrill’s blood type (Rutland Daily Herald, May 1990.) An article by the Boston Globe states that a DNA analysis was conducted on the skin to determine if they were Merrill’s, but they would not discuss the test results (The Boston Globe, May 1990).
NH and VT state police searched the bog in Proctor on May 9, 1990, using police dogs trained to sniff out bodies. The police dogs indicated that on the west side of the bog they may have smelled body parts (Rutland Daily Herald, May 1990.). Another article states the police dogs alerted to a specific spot of the bog three individual times, but nothing was found in the area (Valley New, May 24, 1990). A direct quote from the Rutland Daily Herald article, “police have believed for several years that Merrill’s dismembered body could be in the pond, their plans to execute a search have repeatedly fallen through. After waiting for two years for the bog to drain naturally in the fall, police finally opted to obtain permission to drain the pond.” (Rutland Daily Herald, May 1990). During the search, east of the bog near a stone wall five bones ranging from 4-7” were found. The bones were tested by pathologists and an anthropologist at the University of VT and were later found to be animal bones.
Police stated that George Pregent was the only suspect in the case, but without a body they felt that prosecutors would have difficulty convicting Pregent of Merrill’s murder (The Boston Globe, May 1990). A confidential informant gave information to VT and NH police that suggests that Pregent never intended to sell Merrill the marijuana. The informant conveyed that Pregent stole the money, murdered, and dismembered Merrill, burying the bones in “Proctor Bog” (this article states that Pregent was living in Proctor at the time of Merrill’s disappearance, contradicting the other articles that list Plymouth and Keene). Police say they recovered some of the money from the drug deal, and that the money is connected to Pregent. The informant, an associate of Pregent told police that Pregent showed him the plastic bottles with palms and foot soles two days after Merrill’s disappearance. This informant also told VT state police that he saw Pregent with a plastic bag containing limbs, and that Pregent went to “Proctor Bog” the day after the informant saw the bag. Tire tracks and “other evidence” (doesn’t specify) suggest Pregent drove to the bog, and walked along the marsh (Valley New, May 24, 1990).
VT State Police Detective Sgt. Brian Abbey said that police will not search the bog again for the body, but he predicts Pregent will be charged with murder. He is quoted as saying “We have a very, very strong case.”. The only record I could locate relating to anyone in this case after May 1990 is an article about Pregent’s arrest in Concord, NH in January 2002 on felony-level counts of possession with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm (Concord Monitor, 2002).
As described by his sister: Merrill was the youngest of three, enjoyed basketball, scuba diving, and the outdoors. He read everything and loved to play chess. He was a wonderful kid with a sense of adventure, and a wonderful sense of humor (The Boston Globe, May 1990.)
From what I could find George Pregent is STILL alive today and was never charged. (Presuming that he is guilty), he needs to be charged so Patrick Merrill can finally have justice. Patrick’s family deserves to have peace, closure, and to know what happened to him all those years ago. I think it goes without saying but nobody deserves to be murdered over pot. I’m not sure what, but I’m sure something can be done with all the advancements in DNA, and science that the criminal justice system has today in comparison to the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. All I know is Patrick Merrill deserves to be found and put to rest. I found an obituary of his Mom, who passed away last year. I cannot imagine the heartache and turmoil she went through all those years not knowing what happened to her son, or where he was.
WMUR Article: https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-unsolved-case-file-disappearance-of-patrick-merrill/19673486
NH Department of Justice Cold Case File: https://www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/cold-case/victim-list/patrick-merrill.htm
NAMUS (National Unidentified and Missing Persons System): https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/23398?nav
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/224596307/patrick-douglas-merrill
References
Concord Monitor. (January 25, 2002). George Pregent, Marijuana Arrest 2002. Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 5, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor-george-pregent-marijuan/125825136/
Concord Monitor. (July 11, 1987). George Pregent Escapee Caught Jul 1987. Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor-george-pregent-escapee-c/125825171/
Concord Monitor. (May 27, 1987). George Pregent, the 1875 House - theft of services May 1987. Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor-george-pregent-the-1875/125825847/
Rutland Daily Herald. (May 10, 1990). Proctor bog, search for Patrick Merrill continued. Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/rutland-daily-herald-proctor-bog-search/125872899/
The Boston Globe. (May 13, 1990). Boston Globe, Patrick Merrill mention. Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-boston-globe-patrick-m/125873157/
The Burlington Free Press. (July 7, 1987). Patrick merrill mention continued. Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-patrick-merril/125872328/
Valley News. (April 23, 1987). Patrick Merrill, Apr 23, 1987. Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-news-patrick-merrill-apr-23-198/125824332/
Valley News. (May 24, 1990). Bog Search for Patrick Merrill, May 1990. Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 5, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-news-bog-search-for-patrick-merri/125824491/