Eric Thanal Lutterloah Jr. has been defiant for nearly six years.
Lutterloah, 57, insisted on representing himself in October 2024 on charges of armed kidnapping and sexual battery. Relenting, Lutterloah eventually allowed local attorney David Mengers to defend him. Lutterloah was acquitted.
Lutterloah shook his lawyer’s hand and congratulated him. If convicted, he could’ve spent the rest of his life in prison.
But that was just the beginning of Lutterloah’s legal challenges. He also stood accused of manslaughter in connection with the death of a fellow inmate at the Marion County Jail.
At his change of plea hearing on May 27 before Circuit Judge Barbara Kissner Kwatkosky, Lutterloah was again at odds with Mengers. It has been a common theme with Lutterloah, who has been through multiple lawyers since his June 4, 2020 incarceration.
Sentencing & victim’s sister impact statement
At the hearing, Lutterloah told the judge Mengers had not reviewed any of the cases with him. Mengers denied the accusation.
Told once he’s released he would have to pay close to $1,000 in fines and court costs, Lutterloah complained he’s indigent now, and would be too old to pay the fees when he gets out of prison.
Lutterloah hinted he wanted a new lawyer. The judge told him no. Assistant State Attorney Marissa Meyer told the court if Lutterloah declines to pay the restitution then the plea arrangement could be set aside and he could stand trial. Lutterloah backed down and told the judge he would like to move forward with his plea.
Charged with manslaughter, two counts of felony battery, forgery of a traffic citation and providing false name to a law enforcement officer, the convicted felon and sexual offender pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 15.63 years in prison.
Shackled and wearing a red jail uniform, Lutterloah asked the judge if he could get his wedding ring back. Meyer said she had no problem with the request.
Meyer read aloud a letter from the sister of the man Lutterloah was accused of killing at the jail.
The woman said although her brother had been locked up, she believed in his innocence. Watching a jail security video of the incident, she said it made her sad to know her brother was laughing and joking with other inmates, not knowing what was coming in a few minutes.
She said her brother was not a fighter, and will never forget seeing him hooked up to tubes and machines at the hospital. She said she loved her brother, that he was smart, and he was always there for their family. She said her brother mattered, and she has been carrying the pain of his death since 2021.
Jail altercation
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Cory P. Merchant was near Lutterloah’s bed when Lutterloah stood up and approached him. It appeared the men exchanged words and Merchant was punched in the face.
Merchant backed away, but Lutterloah moved forward and Merchant was again hit in the face, according to a sheriff’s office report. Merchante fell backward, the report states. He was taken to a local hospital and died days later at age 35.
Merchant’s family filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office for the death.
Lutterloah said Merchant was by his bed talking and laughing with another inmate. He said he told Merchant to move, but Merchant didn’t. He admitted to hitting Merchant. Lutterloah said Merchant should not have been by his bed, and he considered it a threat.
The incident occurred in November 2021. Merchant had been at the jail since 2019 on sex-related charges.
Lutterloah’s trial
Two years ago, Lutterloah went to trial on charges that he raped, beat and urinated on a woman.
Before the trial started, Lutterloah wanted to dismiss Mengers. He said the lawyer had not talked to him about his case. He said he didn’t know anything about his defense and he didn’t think he could get a fair trial with Mengers representing him.
Denying his motions, Kissner Kwatkosky told Lutterloah he had more than a half a dozen attorneys, a jury had been picked, and they were moving ahead with the trial.
At the end of the trial, Lutterloah was smiling as a jury returned a not guilty verdict.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: A defiant defendant returned to an Ocala courtroom. What happened?
Reporting by Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
