Case file
Key facts
- Name: Brandi Merrick
- Age at disappearance: 37 (DOB 05/15/1989)
- Last seen: About 8:30 p.m. on June 8, 2026, leaving a family member’s residence in the 4500 block of Houldsworth Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Description: Black female, 5’0″, 170 pounds, black hair, brown eyes
- Reported missing: June 12, 2026, by family members (CMPD report 20260612-1441-00)
- Status: Still missing — her body has never been found, even though her ex-boyfriend has been charged with her murder
- Charged: Derrick Randall Jr., 36, arrested July 31, 2026, and charged with murder; held in the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond
- Investigating agency: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department — Homicide tips: 704-432-8477; Crime Stoppers: 704-334-1600
The night she didn’t come home
Brandi Merrick was 37 years old when she was last seen on the evening of June 8, 2026, leaving a family member’s residence in the 4500 block of Houldsworth Drive in northeast Charlotte — off Tom Query Road, as contemporaneous reporting noted. The time was about 8:30 p.m.
Four days later, on June 12, family members reported her missing to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. CMPD’s Missing Persons Unit opened an investigation under report number 20260612-1441-00, and on June 17 the department issued a public appeal for help finding her: 37 years old, 5 feet tall, 170 pounds, black hair, brown eyes — last seen on Houldsworth Drive.
She has not been located since.
From missing person to homicide case
As the Missing Persons Unit worked the case, it joined forces with CMPD’s Homicide Unit — and the investigation took a grave turn. Detectives developed enough evidence to identify a suspect in Brandi Merrick’s disappearance: Derrick Randall Jr., 36, her ex-boyfriend and the father of her 12-year-old child. The couple, investigators learned, had broken up in May.
On Friday, July 31, 2026, CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team located and arrested Randall. After an interview with homicide detectives, he was transferred into the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office — charged with murder.
CMPD framed its July 31 release as a homicide investigation in the 4800 block of Abercromby Street in the University City Division, and publicly thanked the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) for its assistance in the case. The department did not explain either detail further, and this case file does not speculate about them — they are recorded here because they are part of CMPD’s official account.
CMPD’s announcement was careful and stark in equal measure: “Despite continued efforts, Ms. Merrick has not been located.” A murder charge had been filed. The victim of that alleged murder was still missing.
A murder charge without a body
Charging someone with murder before a body is found is not common — but, as one attorney unaffiliated with the case told Queen City News, the evidence can still hold up in court. What investigators say they found, according to the station’s reporting, includes:
- Merrick’s rental car, abandoned in the same neighborhood where she was last seen, less than a mile from Randall’s home.
- A witness account claiming Randall used an excavator to bury Merrick, with cell phone records leading investigators to a wooded area in Catawba County, where Flock cameras captured Randall’s truck and a trailer carrying the excavator.
- A shallow grave discovered at the site — but no body.
- DNA found at the site, along with blood inside Randall’s garage that matched Merrick’s.
Randall remains in custody at the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond. He is accused, not convicted; the case against him will have to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt and without a recovered body, what happened to Brandi Merrick.
Still missing
That is the fact this case file exists to hold onto. Whatever the prosecution alleges, whatever the evidence shows, Brandi Merrick — a 37-year-old woman last seen leaving a relative’s home on a June evening — has never been found. Her family reported her missing; the police searched; a suspect sits in jail; and she is still gone.
CMPD says the investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 704-432-8477 and speak directly to a Homicide Unit detective (Detective McCall is the lead homicide detective; Detective Hagan leads the Missing Persons side of the case). Information can also be left anonymously with Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
Have information?
Contact the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Homicide Unit at 704-432-8477 (ask for Detective McCall), or leave an anonymous tip with Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or via the P3 Tips mobile app. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- June 8, 2026, ~8:30 p.m. — Brandi Merrick, 37, is last seen leaving a family member’s residence in the 4500 block of Houldsworth Drive, Charlotte, NC.
- June 12, 2026 — Family members report her missing; CMPD’s Missing Persons Unit opens an investigation (report 20260612-1441-00).
- June 17, 2026 — CMPD issues a public missing-person appeal for Merrick; local press carries the appeal the same day.
- July 31, 2026 — Derrick Randall Jr., 36, Merrick’s ex-boyfriend, is arrested by CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team and charged with murder; he is transferred to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. CMPD confirms Merrick has still not been located.
- August 5, 2026 — Queen City News reports details of the investigation, including the abandoned rental car, the excavator allegation, the Catawba County site, and the DNA and blood evidence; Randall is reported held without bond.
- October 2026 — Still missing. Her body has never been found; the homicide prosecution is pending.
FAQ
Is Brandi Merrick still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Brandi Merrick has never been located. Her body has not been found, even though her ex-boyfriend has been charged with her murder.
Who was charged in her disappearance?
Derrick Randall Jr., 36 — Merrick’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her 12-year-old child. He was arrested on July 31, 2026, and charged with murder. He is being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond. He is accused, not convicted.
What evidence have investigators described?
According to Queen City News’ reporting on the investigation: Merrick’s rental car was found abandoned less than a mile from Randall’s home; a witness claimed Randall used an excavator to bury her; investigators traced cell records to a wooded area in Catawba County where a shallow grave was found — with no body; and DNA at the site plus blood in Randall’s garage matched Merrick’s.
Where was she last seen?
Leaving a family member’s residence in the 4500 block of Houldsworth Drive in northeast Charlotte, at about 8:30 p.m. on June 8, 2026.
Can someone be charged with murder when no body has been found?
Yes — it is uncommon, but it happens, and it is what CMPD and prosecutors have done here. As an attorney unaffiliated with the case told Queen City News, a no-body prosecution can still hold up in court, but the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, without a recovered body, that a murder occurred and that the accused committed it. Randall is accused, not convicted.
What happens next in the case against Derrick Randall Jr.?
As of October 2026, Randall remains held in the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond and the homicide prosecution is pending. CMPD says its investigation is active and ongoing. No trial outcome has been reported, and Merrick herself has still not been located.
How can I help?
Share this case file. If you have any information about Brandi Merrick’s disappearance, call the CMPD Homicide Unit at 704-432-8477 (Detective McCall is the lead detective) or leave an anonymous tip with Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
Sources
Official / law enforcement
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, “Homicide Investigation in the University City Division” (originally published June 17, 2026 as a missing-person appeal; updated July 31, 2026 with the homicide investigation and arrest) — charlottenc.gov. This single CMPD page carries the June 17 appeal text (4500 block of Houldsworth Drive, ~8:30 p.m., DOB 05/15/1989, report 20260612-1441-00), the July 31 arrest, and the detective assignments (Detective McCall, Homicide; Detective Hagan, Missing Persons).
News
- Queen City News, “Ex-boyfriend charged with murder of missing North Carolina woman; pair has 12-year-old child” (August 5, 2026) — the station’s original reporting on the rental car, excavator witness account, Catawba County site, shallow grave, DNA and blood evidence, and the Bill Powers legal analysis. Full text accessible via the Opera News reprint: operanewsapp.com (the outlet’s own page was not locatable; the reprint carries the full “(QUEEN CITY NEWS)” byline).
- Bonnie Zhang / Charlotte Observer, “37-year-old woman missing from Charlotte” (June 17, 2026, via Yahoo) — contemporaneous report on the CMPD missing-person appeal, placing her last seen location on Houldsworth Drive off Tom Query Road.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.