Insanity Plea in Mutilation Killing
An El Cajon man charged with the mutilation murder of his estranged wife pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court.
Judge Jesus Rodriguez set Jan. 13 for the trial of Shane Edwin Merkel, 27, to begin.
Merkel is charged with killing Linda Doran-Merkel, 45, a data entry supervisor, on June 6 in her home on Richfield Avenue in El Cajon. A police officer discovered her body underneath a blanket in the home. Her face and heart had been removed.
The couple had been married for several years but had separated earlier this year. Shane Merkel remains in County Jail without bail.
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