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James Merritt, on the left, and Haley Decker, on the right

Left: James Merritt (Illinois State Police); Right: Haley Decker (Missing In Illinois).

A Missouri man will spend the rest of his life — and then some — behind bars for stuffing a young woman into a suitcase and discarding her remains in an Illinois wildlife refuge in 2020, a court recently ruled.

James A. Merritt, 35, hails from Morehouse, Missouri — a tiny town just miles away from the borders of several adjoining states. His victim, Haley Marie Decker, 18, hailed from Normal, Illinois — a medium-sized city that forms part of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area and nearly four hours due north of Morehouse.

In January, he was convicted on one count each of murder in the second degree, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence, and trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, according to the Illinois State Police.

Earlier this month, Circuit Judge Joshua Underwood sentenced Merritt to life in prison plus an additional 29 years and a $25,000 fine.

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