Eril Merius, a 34-year-old Haitian male from Fort Pierce, Florida, tragically lost his life on March 5, 2020. Born on May 22, 1985, in Lago Nave, Haiti, Eril had been a resident of Fort Pierce for 22 years, having moved from Haiti. He was employed as a laborer for the Stanley Steamer Company and was known by the alias "Fresh" due to his distinctive style of dressing.
On the evening of March 5, 2020, Fort Pierce police were called to a shooting scene near a two-story building on the west side of North 18th Street. Eril Merius was found with a single gunshot wound to the middle of his forehead, with an apparent exit wound to the upper left portion of his head. He was transported to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation revealed that Eril Merius had been involved in an argument with Jabarie Junior Orelien, a 34-year-old male from Fort Pierce. Witnesses reported that the two men had a history of conflicts, although it was believed they had resolved their issues. On the day of the incident, Orelien approached Merius, and during the confrontation, Orelien hit Merius with the butt of a handgun before stepping back, cocking the weapon, and firing two shots, one of which struck Merius in the head. A witness, who was playing dominoes nearby, identified Orelien as the shooter from a photo lineup provided by the police.
Jabarie Junior Orelien was arrested two days after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder with a firearm. During his trial in June 2023, Orelien was convicted by a jury of the murder of Eril Merius. Circuit Judge Steven Levin, who presided over the trial, sentenced Orelien to life in prison for the murder charge and imposed an additional 30-year prison term for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentencing took place on August 10, 2023, marking the conclusion of the legal proceedings related to the tragic death of Eril Merius.
