On July 21, 2025, Drew Bernard Meyer, a resident of Chester, Maryland, formerly a resident of New Jersey, was sentenced by Hon. C. Lynn Knight of the Queen Anne’s County Circuit Court to 30 years of active incarceration and ten (10) years suspended for the second-degree murder of his father. This plea stems from an incident that occurred on May 16, 2024 at 1002 Auckland Way in Chester.
On May 17, 2024, Deputies from the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff, Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the Department of Natural Resources responded to that location after an urgent check for welfare revealed that Wayne Michael Meyer was found obviously deceased. No one was home and there was no evidence of illegal entry into the residence. An autopsy revealed that Mr. Meyer had been stabbed 38 times and cut 21 additional times. His body was wounded in the head, neck, torso, and extremities,
Members of the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff, Criminal Investigations Unit, assisted by the Maryland State Police Crime Scene Unit, completed search and seizure warrants, searched the residence and vehicles, compiled evidence and submitted items for lab analysis at the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division. A forensic scientist from the Maryland State Police Crime Lab confirmed Drew’s and the victim’s DNA on the suspected murder weapon, a butcher knife, that was located at the scene.
The investigation revealed that Drew Meyer, the victim’s son, and Wayne Michael Meyer had argued about Drew’s long-term unemployment. A neighbor corroborated hearing what sounded like a loud argument. It later was learned through conversations with family members, and close associates of the victims, as well as the victim’s actual cell phone communications, that the argument was heated and Drew subsequently left the residence. Family members became concerned when the victim stopped answering his cell phone. A neighbor’s Ring camera showed the only vehicles coming and going from the victim’s residence to belong to the victim and Drew.
The initial responding Deputy requested that Queen Anne’s County Emergency Services conduct a “ping” of Drew’s cellular telephone and also put out a BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for Drew’s vehicle. Both Drew and his vehicle were located a short time later by the Roanoke County Police Department in Roanoke, Virginia where he was apprehended and held pending extradition.
Second Degree Murder is murder without premeditation. The facts of this case supported a spontaneous fit of rage, lacking premeditation. For many years, the maximum penalty for second degree murder was 30 years. It recently was increased to 40 years. The State recommended the 30 years of active incarceration with ten years suspended. This recommendation is over the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines which suggests a period of incarceration based on a rubric determined by a person’s criminal history combined with the crime committed. The State believes that this sentence was a good outcome in this case as it is ten years over the State of Maryland sentencing guidelines, and the Defendant has no right to an automatic appeal. It was the best outcome for a very tragic set of circumstances for the family and friends involved.
State’s Attorney Lance G. Richardson and Deputy State’s Attorney Christine Dulla Rickard prosecuted Mr. Meyer and both Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Dulla-Rickard expressed their gratitude to the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff and all allied agencies that assisted in the investigation.