By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer
A man accused of murdering three people — two of them more than 20 years ago — is scheduled to appear in court today.
Michael Andrew Abner, 46, of Bullock Lane, Eubank, is slated to appear in Pulaski Circuit Court Thursday for an arraignment as he faces murder, theft and arson charges in connection with the killings of Jack Roerink, Mae Frisbee Stringer and Mamie B. Mercer, according to the online Pulaski County court docket.
Abner was indicted on those charges earlier this month by a Pulaski County grand jury.
Abner’s alleged confession to killing Stringer and Mercer came to light earlier this year, after Abner’s Tuesday, Jan. 12 arrest for the murder of Roerink, 79.
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.
Abner is facing one charge of murder, one charge of first-degree robbery and one charge of first-degree burglary in connection with Roerink’s death.
It was soon after that arrest that Abner allegedly told authorities he’d killed two other people more than 20 years ago.
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.
Mercer was 80 years old at the time of her death, and Abner was 20 years old at the time of the incident.
Abner faces one count of murder and one count of first-degree robbery in connection with Mercer’s death.
Abner allegedly killed again only five years after he reportedly strangled Mercer to death in her home.
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.
Stringer was 83 years old at the time of her death, and Abner was 25 years old.
Abner faces one count of murder, one count of first-degree robbery, one count of first-degree burglary and one count of first-degree arson in conn-ection with Stringer’s death.
