Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Lethal Lunch Break’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Killer Beside Me’ chronicles the mysterious disappearance and killing of two school secretaries — Kay Harrelson and Peggy Merimon — in Lubbock, Texas, in August 2006. When the news broke out, the entire school and community were in a state of concern and turmoil, while grief took over their loved ones. The investigation led the detectives to an unlikely suspect and a gruesome act. The documentary also features interviews with Kay and Peggy’s family and friends, as well as officials involved in the investigation.
Kay Harrelson and Peggy Merimon Had Lunch Together Before Disappearing
The beloved daughter of SW Jack and Mary Lou “Weed” Bibb, Kay Bibb Harrelson, was born on September 8, 1954, in Lubbock, Texas. She grew up alongside her brother, Jerry Scott Bibb, in a loving and supportive household. After attending Lubbock Public Schools, she went to Coronado High School. After completing her education, she entered the Food Brokerage industry and worked for Furr’s, Fleming, and other companies in and around Lubbock. On December 27, 1979, Kay tied the knot with the love of her life, Danny Harrelson, with whom she had a son named Chris. More than a couple of decades later, in December 2004, she bagged a job as a data entry clerk at the Lubbock State School. Besides being a disciplined professional, Kay was also a devoted wife and doting mother.
She was friends with several of her co-workers, including Peggy Ann Leverett Merimon. Born on April 15, 1945, in Llano County, Texas, to Joseph White “Joe” Leverett and Kate Long Ridge, Peggy was raised alongside multiple siblings — sisters Lou Thompson, Dorothy Strange, Cassels Kirk Wilson, Sarah, and Marilyn Dry, and brothers Miles Leverett, J.C. Leverett, and Richard Leverett. At 18, she married Michael Rowan “Mike” Appleton, but when things didn’t work out between the two, they parted ways. In 1973, Peggy married Sammy Jay “Sean” Brown, who unfortunately passed away in 1982. Soon, she got married for the third time to Gearl Merimon, with whom she raised eight children — Vaughn Appleton, Sean Appleton, Sven Appleton, Ian Appleton, Natosha Davis, Sammie Brown, Lisa Kelly, and Jeffery Merimon.
Both 61-year-old Peggy and 51-year-old Kay were together during lunchtime on August 9, 2006, but neither returned to the Lubbock State School, where they worked. The mysterious disappearance raised concerns among the two women’s families, who contacted the authorities. 11 days later, the searchers found Kay’s remains in a burn ditch off the side of the road near Shallowater. The detectives found multiple shotgun shells around the remains and determined that the remains had been in the ditch for eight to ten days. They couldn’t find any gunshot wounds or stab wounds on the remains; thus, the cause of her death couldn’t be determined. However, they found DNA evidence under her fingernails. It wasn’t until May 8, 2010, that Peggy’s remains were found in North Lubbock County, about 13 miles away from where Kay’s remains were found.
One of Kay Harrelson and Peggy Merimon’s Co-Workers Was Responsible For the Murders
During the investigation, the detectives spoke to a few witnesses in the area where Kay Harrelson and Peggy Merimon were last seen alive. They learned that the two women were seen leaving the school in a car with an unidentified man, whose composite sketch was released by the police in hopes of locating the perpetrator. The detectives then questioned a co-worker of Kay and Peggy, Mickey Weldon Patterson, who served as the Director of Risk Management at the Lubbock State School. When asked about his whereabouts at the time of his colleagues’ disappearance, he told the investigators that he had “defecated in his pants, cleaned up, and then picked up a prostitute by the name of Rachel.” On August 11, 2006, they searched his trailer and noticed that the linens in his bedroom contained blood-like spots.
On August 28, 2006, during a voluntary interview, Mikey told the authorities that he was with Peggy and Kay in his trailer the day they went missing. The suspect alleged that he had had sexual relations with Peggy earlier that summer, so she and Kay were interested in having a threesome with him on the fateful day. Mikey claimed that he gave them the keys to his car and didn’t see them again. Although his story had multiple inconsistencies, there wasn’t enough direct evidence linking him to the disappearances and murders. At the end of the interview, Mikey said, “If I had done what I was supposed to have done, I could have changed history for Kay and Peggy that day.” In order to gather evidence against him, the detectives then dug deeper into his cellphone records from the day the two women disappeared.
His cellphone history for August 10, 2006, placed him in Shallowater and west of Shallowater — the area where their remains were eventually discovered. Having enough reason to believe Mikey was responsible for Kay and Peggy’s deaths, their families filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him in August 2008. It was theorized that Mikey had lured the two women from the school, held them hostage, and killed them before disposing of their remains. A year or so later, in September 2009, the police arrested Mikey Patterson in Bend, Oregon, and charged him with two counts of capital murder. A couple of weeks later, he was extradited to Lubbock, where he awaited trial.
Mickey Patterson Passed Away While Serving a Term For the Murder of Kay Harrelson
Mickey Patterson’s trial was scheduled to begin on June 1, 2010, but when Peggy’s remains were finally discovered in May 2010, his trial was rescheduled. On September 13, 2011, his trial for Kay Harrelson’s murder began. During the trial, the defense argued that the prosecution lacked any physical evidence that connected the defendant to the killings. They also told the jury that cellphone tracking was not always reliable or accurate, arguing that it was not enough to prove his guilt. The prosecution presented an eyewitness, who testified that Mickey resembled the man she saw driving the car that the women entered. Several other witnesses also emphasized Mickey’s alleged misogyny and history of threatening women.
Natasha Davis, Peggy Merimon’s daughter, also took the stand and delivered an emotional testimony. She said, “Over four years not knowing where she (Peggy) was, you just never know what to feel or what to think. Not a moment goes by that she’s not with us.” Ultimately, on September 16, the jury deliberated for an hour and 40 minutes before finding Mikey guilty of killing Kay Harrelson. He was then sentenced to life in prison for the crime. While awaiting trial for Peggy’s murder, the 62-year-old convict died of apparent natural causes in the infirmary at the Clements Unit in Amarillo, Texas, on November 28, 2012.
Read More: Janine Marie Benintende and Tracie Clark Murders: Where is Dave Keith Rogers Now?
