Charlotte, North Carolina — A North Carolina man is facing a first-degree murder charge after investigators alleged he killed the mother of his children following the end of their relationship and spent days trying to hide the crime.
Although 37-year-old Brandi Leshonne Merrick’s body has never been found, police say a combination of DNA evidence, cellphone records, surveillance footage, and witness statements led them to charge 36-year-old Derrick Andre Randall Jr.
Missing Mother’s Sudden Disappearance Raised Immediate Alarm
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Merrick’s mother reported her missing on June 12 after she had not heard from her daughter for two days.
Family members told investigators that Merrick was last seen at Randall’s home in Charlotte, where she had gone after returning from a trip to Advance, North Carolina…