Baldwin County Inmate Sentenced to Life in Prison for Beating Cellmate

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A Baldwin State prison inmate was sentenced to life in prison without parole for beating and choking his cell mate.

Carl Merkerson was already serving a life sentence for a 2007 murder in Dekalb County when he got into a fight with his cellmate Terrence Bowen in 2010. Bowen died from injuries sustained in the fight.

Merkerson’s trial began Tuesday. After hearing the evidence, the jury met for 10 minutes before returning with a guilty verdict.