CHADBOURN, NC — A Chadbourn man has been sentenced to more than two decades in state prison after pleading guilty to second‑degree murder in the 2023 shooting death of his 17‑year‑old son.
According to court records and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, 44‑year‑old Matthew Hall Mercer entered the guilty plea in connection with the September 29, 2023 killing of his son, Brady Lee Mercer, at thier Elroy Mercer Road residence in the Roseland community.
Deputies responded to the home after receiving a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found the teenager suffering from a fatal gunshot wound. Mercer was detained at the scene and later charged with murder.
Investigators said the shooting occurred during a dispute involving a truck located on the property. During the confrontation, Mercer retrieved a firearm, resulting in the fatal shot. No additional charges were filed beyond second‑degree murder.
Brady Mercer was a student at West Columbus High School at the time of his death.
Mercer was sentenced to a term of 23 to 28.5 years in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, consistent with state sentencing guidelines for second‑degree murder.
Mercer was taken into custody following sentencing and remains in state prison.
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