By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer
Somerset — SOMERSET—A man accused of killing no fewer than three people pleaded guilty to murder and other charges in court yesterday.
Family and friends of Jack Roerink, Mamie Mercer and Mae Stringer crowded into the Pulaski County Circuit Courtroom Wednesday morning to hear Michael Andrew Abner, 47, plead guilty in the killings of the three victims.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” said Andy Mercer, grandson of Mamie Mercer, who Abner admitted to killing more than 20 years ago.
Abner appeared to be fighting tears Wednesday morning as he, several law enforcement officials, several attorneys and onlookers waited for a hearing that would last no more than 20 minutes.
Abner appeared with his attorney, Jim Cox, before Pulaski Circuit Judge Jeffrey T. Burdette Wednesday for the pleadings. He was originally scheduled to appear for an arraignment today, but those plans were moved up once a plea deal was met.
Abner was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 12 after authorities discovered he’d broken into the home of Jack Roerink, who was 79 at the time of his death.
Authorities discovered Roerink’s body in his home in Eubank and Abner, who reportedly knew Roerink, was found a short while later after officers traced Roerink’s missing truck to Abner’s ex-wife’s home. Investigators said Abner stabbed Roerink multiple times with a kitchen knife during the incident before taking several items and fleeing with some of Roerink’s property, including his truck.
Once he was in custody, Abner told law enforcement officials that he’d killed twice before.
Mamie Mercer’s body was discovered in her South Hart Road home in the Saline community on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1983 in her bed, a victim of strangulation, and Abner was questioned during an investigation by Kentucky State Police. He was never arrested, and the case remained open and unsolved throughout the years until Abner’s arrest this year.
“When something like this happens, and it goes so long, people start looking at other people in the community,” Andy Mercer said about the murder that sent him and the rest of his family reeling.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Eddy F. Montgomery, reading from evidence received from authorities outlining Abner’s confessions, said Abner entered Mamie Mercer’s home while another woman, who lived with Mercer, was in the shower and strangled Mercer, unbeknownst to the other female.
“You learn to live with this, but it’s never forgotten,” Andy Mercer said.
Mercer said his grandmother, who was a religious woman and could be seen walking everywhere for her health, bought fire wood from Abner.
“It rocked the neighborhood,” Andy Mercer said about the murder.
Mamie Mercer was 80 years old at the time of her death, and Abner was 20 years old at the time of the incident.
“This brings closure to all of that,” Andy Mercer added.
Abner strangled 83-year-old Mae Stringer in 1988, when he was 25 years old.
Stringer’s family and investigators believed she had perished in a house fire on Dec. 2, 1988, but investigators said Abner stated he strangled the 83-year-old woman to death in her home on Ringgold Road before setting the house on fire.
Montgomery, reading from statements received from the authorities, said Abner poured perfume over Stringer’s body and set fire to the home.
“There’s been three victims that we’ve talked about here, and there’s been more than 30 days in between the murders of each of these victims,” Burdette stated to Abner during the hearing. “You’ve had an opportunity between the first and second victims to ... admit, to offer some peace of mind to the family of the first victim, but after 30 days and after that time period, you did kill again.
“Another 30 days or more passed, matter of fact, years,” Burdette continued. “(You had) an opportunity ... to redeem, or to talk to the families or the authorities to admit your wrongdoings, but you did not.”
During Wednesday’s hearing, Montgomery and Cox stated that it was revealed during a competency hearing that Abner’s IQ was over 70, which means he qualified for the death penalty if he’d been found guilty through trial of the charges he faced.
Abner had been indicted on one charge of murder, one charge of first-degree robbery and one charge of first-degree burglary in connection with Roerink’s death. He was also indicted on one count of murder and one count of first-degree robbery in connection with Mercer’s death, and he was indicted by a grand jury on one count of murder, one count of first-degree robbery, one count of first-degree burglary and one count of first-degree arson in connection with Stringer’s death.
Abner pleaded guilty Wednesday to those same charges. Montgomery recommended that he receive life in prison without the possibility of parole for each of the murder charges, 20 years in prison for each of the burglary charges, 20 years in prison for each of the robbery charges, and 20 years in prison for the arson charge.
Burdette accepted that recommendation after Montgomery stated that he’d spoken to the relatives of Roerink, Stringer and Mercer and received their approval of the plea and the sentences.
“I believe that you deserve to be incarcerated for the remainder of your life,” Burdette told Abner.
