On May 12, 2025, Drew Bernard Meyer, a resident of Chester, Maryland, formerly a resident of New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty to Second Degree Murder. This plea stems from an incident that occurred on May 16, 2024, at 1002 Auckland Way in Chester.

On May 17, 2024, members of 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 sustained wounds to the head, neck, torso, and extremities.

Members of the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff, Criminal Investigations Unit, comprised of S/SGT M. Bassaro, DET J. Rickard, DET. C. Armington, DET D. Sullivan, and DET N. Kendall, as well as Maryland State Police Crime Scene Tech R. Schembari, 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. Spessard, a forensic scientist from the Maryland State Police Crime Lab confirmed Drew’s and the victim’s DNA were present on a butcher knife located on 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 but Drew had 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 belonged to the victim and Drew.

DFC Holden, one of the first deputies on scene, asked Emergency Services to “ping” Drew’s cellular telephone as well as put a BOLO out for his 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.

Mr. Meyer will be sentenced on July 21, 2025. He is facing 40 years of incarceration. The State is seeking 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.

State’s Attorney Lance G. Richardson and Deputy State’s Attorney Christine Dulla Rickard, prosecuted Mr. Meyer.