Dr. Alexander J. "Alex" Merritt is a gynecologist who sexually abuses his patients.
History[]
He molests Elizabeth Olivet during an examination, and she goes to the 27th Precinct to complain. Mike Logan and Phil Cerreta start investigating Merritt and learn that he is a sexual sadist with a long history of abusing women, including his second wife, whom he drove to suicide. While they find several women whom he victimized, none are willing to press charges.
Olivet takes matters into her own hands and goes to his office with a tape recorder, hoping to get him to say or do something incriminating; the meeting spirals out of control when he gives her a local anesthetic and rapes her while she is unable to move. Benjamin Stone and Paul Robinette try Merritt for rape. During the trial, Merritt claims that he had consensual sex with Olivet, and his lawyer Danielle Melnick reveals that one of Olivet's patients had claimed that Merritt molested her, leading Olivet to go to Merritt's office to investigate.
Merritt is convicted of one count of rape, but the judge sets aside the verdict, citing police misconduct and lack of evidence. Stone charges his nurse, Miriam Gregg, as an accomplice and makes a deal with her to testify against Merritt for the rape of Diane Perkins, another former patient of his. After his arraignment Merritt gloats on television that he helps his patients and does not hurt them, which causes 54 of his former patients to come forward and accuse of him of either raping, molesting, or abusing them. Because of this, he's forced to accept a deal of life in prison for the rape of Diane Perkins. (L&O: "Helpless")
Known Victims[]
- 51 unnamed women (all raped, molested, and sexually battered for decades)
- Celia Walsh (Merritt's first wife; raped repeatedly)
- Theresa Merritt (Merritt's second wife; raped repeatedly; later committed suicide from an overdose in Merritt's office)
- Laura Todd (repeatedly molested)
- Nicole Simon (repeatedly raped)
- Delores Gaines (sexually battered with laser surgery while she was off anesthesia)
- Diane Perkins (raped)
- Dr. Elizabeth Olivet (molested, then sedated with the help of Miriam Gregg and raped)