McKinney Dad Charged With Murdering Wife
MCKINNEY (CBS 11 NEWS) - A McKinney father is under arrest for the murder of his wife, Wednesday afternoon.
McKinney police say they were responding to a 911 call for an 'unknown emergency' when they spotted Mary Beth Merz, 44, through a window.
"First responders could see her lying inside on the floor. She was unresponsive, to not get up and come to the door. We forced entry to make sure she was okay," said Sgt. Chad Barker.
Police say she was already dead.
The only other person inside the house was her husband, Eric Merz.
A source tells CBS11 he attempted to overdose on drugs, after killing his wife.
Police say, he was taken to Baylor Hospital, before being transferred to the Collin County jail.
The couple's two young children, ages 8 and 11, were not at home at the time of the incident.
A neighbor questioned by police, who asked not be identified, said she heard a loud noise sometime after 3 o'clock that afternoon and peered outside into the Merz's backyard.
"All I heard were two pops, and I saw him standing over the fire pit. So, I thought he'd thrown something into the fire pit that exploded. I didn't think of it as gunshots," she said.
Chopper 11 caught investigators Wednesday paying close attention to the backyard fire pit, placing an evidence marker inside and photographing it.
Neighbors say several weeks ago, Eric Merz had lost his job of 17 years.
"It's horrifying to look out your window and see all the police cars," said their neighbor.
She said, she never heard the pair argue. She only ever saw them as a happy, normal couple, actively involved in the lives of their two young children.
A source says the children are now with their grandmother.
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