A Mississauga mom of six and her common-law spouse have been found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2013 death of her former husband, Caleb Harrison. Melissa Merritt, 37, was also charged with first-degree murder in the 2010 death of her former mother-in-law, Bridget Harrison. On that count the court declared a mistrial after the jury could not agree on a verdict. Christopher Fattore, 40, Merritt’s spouse and co-accused, was found guilty of murdering both Caleb and Bridget. He was declared not guilty on a charge of second-degree murder in the 2009 death of a third member of the same family — Bill Harrison, Caleb’s father and Bridget’s husband. A jury of 12 delivered the verdicts Saturday in Brampton after three days of deliberations. Merritt, 37, hung her head and cried quietly after the verdicts were read. Fattore, 40, showed no emotion. They both pleaded not guilty to the charges. The three members of the Harrison family were found dead in their home on Pitch Pine Cres. over a five-year span. Police did not classify the first two deaths as homicides until after Caleb was killed. The Crown alleged the Harrisons were killed at key moments in an acrimonious custody dispute with Merritt. First-degree murder, which means a murder that is planned and deliberate, comes with a mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison without parole. At trial, Fattore testified that he did kill his wife’s ex unintentionally after sneaking into his home in the middle of the night with a baseball bat. Fattore admitted to killing both Caleb and Bridget in an interview with police after his 2014 arrest, but recanted at trial, saying the confession was forced. Bridget, 63, was a beloved educator who worked as a teacher, principal and superintendent, primarily in the Peel school board. Bill, 64, an analyst for Sobeys, was a role model to his son, nieces and nephews. He volunteered as a baseball coach and Big Brother. Caleb, 40, worked for an electronic sales ...
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