The second man charged in a high-profile, violent carjacking captured on video in Beverly has been sentenced to 14½ years in federal prison, officials announced on Wednesday. Kenneth Merritt, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani following his guilty plea to federal carjacking and handgun counts.
Merritt and his accomplice, Damarri Conner, traveled by bus to Beverly dressed entirely in black, complete with hoods and face masks. They lurked outside a home in the 9300 block of South Pleasant Street and observed as a 46-year-old lady and her 12-year-old daughter came from volleyball practice and parked their car in an unattached garage, according to officials.
When the mother exited and began to go toward the back door, the two males emerged from their hiding place.
According to authorities, surveillance video captured Merritt pushing the woman to the ground and ripping her pocketbook. As she yelled, Conner charged up and struck her in the face, aiming a loaded revolver at her at point blank range as she attempted to defend herself.
When the woman’s husband went outside to help, Conner racked the gun’s slide and pointed it at him as well, according to officials. The husband attempted to de-escalate the situation by showing the carjackers how to start their family’s Audi.
Prosecutors allege that both males made threats, including “You got three seconds; shoot her” and “Shoot her if she moves,” before driving away.
According to state authorities, Merritt has been on parole since July 2021, having served half of three concurrent 10-year terms for two robberies and felon in possession of a handgun. Those crimes were initially prosecuted as aggravated carjackings until prosecutors accepted plea bargains for lesser offenses.
Merritt was identified by police after a surveillance camera showed him using the husband’s American Express card at a BP gas station while still dressed in the clothes he wore during the carjacking.
Conner allegedly snatched the keys to the family’s Range Rover during the incident. Six days later, Chicago police attempted to stop him as he drove the stolen Audi. Prosecutors say Conner fled, sending cops on a high-speed chase with a passenger in the car.
Conner returned to the victims’ home on November 14 and used the stolen keys to steal the Range Rover parked in front of the house. Law authorities tracked the vehicle to Conner’s neighborhood, where he was discovered hiding in a closet. Prosecutors say a gun was discovered from the vehicle he was driving.
According to a federal sentencing memorandum, Conner’s case took a new turn following his arrest. According to the memorandum, while in Cook County Jail, Conner “effectively ordered a hit on his own stepfather,” who was identified in surveillance photographs during the police investigation. In a taped jailhouse chat, someone told Conner that he had seen the stepfather and “was going to hop out and blaze him” before requesting permission “to shoot or hurt” him.
“No, go ahead,” Conner allegedly said. “I offer you full rights. Okay, go ahead. “All rights. All rights.”
Conner’s stepfather died of natural causes.
Court records described the carjacking’s long-term impact on the family. The husband claimed he thought he was going to die that night and characterized his wife as a “different person now” who had nightmares. Their 12-year-old daughter witnessed the incident in her own garden and was subsequently provoked by costumed actors at a Halloween party. According to court documents, she froze and fled the event with her pals.
Conner received a 14½-year sentence earlier this year after pleading guilty to the same federal offenses.
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