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Draft:Pitch Pine Crescent murders

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  • Comment: most sources tabloids, not great for showing event notability PARAKANYAA (talk) 15:32, 16 November 2024 (UTC)
Toronto Life and the Toronto Sun, you mean? (LaCyn88)

Pitch Pine Crescent murders
DateApril 9, 2009 (2009-04-09)
LocationMississauga, Ontario, Canada
CauseStrangulation causing asphyxiation (Caleb, Bridget);
MotiveCustody over children
Deaths3
ConvictedVictims' ex-wife/daughter-in-law and her boyfriend
ChargesFirst-degree murder (Fattore) Acquittal and new trial pending (Merritt)
SentenceLife in prison

The Pitch Pine Crescent murders were a series of three murders committed over a four-year span in a house at 3635 Pitch Pine Crescent; that of Bill Harrison (April 2009); his wife Bridget Harrison (April 2010); and their son, Caleb (August 2013) [1] The perpetrators were Caleb's ex-wife, Melissa Merritt, and her partner, Chris Fattore.

Background

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Melissa Merritt and Caleb Harrison had two children together, over whose custody they argued. The children were living with Caleb prior to his death. [2]

Investigation

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Arrests

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Merritt and Fattore were arrested near Bridgewater, Nova Scotia on January 28, 2014. [3]

Trials

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In 2018, Fattore was found guilty of first-degree murder in Bridget and Caleb's deaths, but acquitted for Bill's death. Merritt was found guilty of first-degree murder in Caleb's death, but the jury was hung on whether or not she was guilty of Bridget's death. Merritt was not charged with Bill's death.[4]

In 2023, her case was successfully overturned and a new trial was ordered. [5] This was based on claims that the judge “committed significant errors in his jury instruction relating to key evidence.” [6]

In 2024, Merritt was acquitted of Bridget's death, but the jury was deadlocked regarding Caleb's death, which prompted the judge to declare a mistrial in Caleb's case.[7]

Media coverage

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The case was featured on the Season 26 Dateline NBC episode entitled "The House on Pitch Pine Crescent".[8] The episode aired on May 18, 2018, and re-aired on November 25, 2022, with updated details.

In 2023, the case was featured on an episode of MrBallen's podcast, entitled "Pitch Pine Crescent”. [9]

Category:History of Mississauga Category:Murders Category:2009 in Ontario Category:2010 in Ontario Category:2013 in Ontario

References

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