48 Hours “Jade Janks and the Secret Photos” Preview

Did a pretty young woman who discovered nude photos of herself on her stepdad’s computer exact revenge by murdering him? CBS’s 48 Hours‘ “Jade Janks and the Secret Photos” explores the case of Jade Janks and her stepfather, Tom Merriman, who was found dead on New Year’s Day 2021.

A 9-1-1 call to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department included details of a supposed confession. A friend of Jade’s told law enforcement that Jade confessed to drugging Tom and then suffocating and strangling him.

Per CBS: “The call triggered a search for Merriman. He was found dead in his driveway, hidden under a pile of trash. Janks was arrested and charged with his murder, but she said she was innocent. She says Merriman, who had just been released from the hospital, had been in poor health and fell asleep in her car. Janks says she found Merriman dead in her car the next morning and panicked and tried to hide his body. When the autopsy came back it seemed to support Janks’ account of the cause of Merriman’s death. Prosecutors were looking for evidence of strangulation. Instead, the autopsy report said Merriman died of a prescription drug overdose.”

48 Hours‘ Tracy Smith digs into the case, and the episode will include new clues that investigators discovered surrounding the murder of Tom Merriman.

“Jade Janks and the Secret Photos” will air on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT.