ST. CHARLES – A third judge assigned to the case set a February trial date for a former Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy accused of harassing and stalking a law enforcement officer.

Michael Merkel, 45, is scheduled to be tried by a jury Feb. 24, 2026 in the St. Charles County courthouse following a change of venue. Pre-trial motions will be heard Oct. 3 at 11 a.m.

The Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney’s office charged Merkel with the Class E felony charges of stalking and harassing a law enforcement officer in 2023.

According to court documents, Merkel, his wife Rebecca and his brother Kevin photographed Lincoln County Chief Deputy Randy Lambert while he was eating dinner with his family and sent him threatening text messages.

Some of the text messages included:

• – “We’ve followed you for four weeks and will continue to follow you”
• – “Make better decisions”
• – “Here’s a couple pics for starters”– followed by pictures of Lambert dining and drinking at the Wentzville restaurant.

Lincoln County Sheriff Rick Harrell had assigned Lambert to investigate the department’s role in the wrongful conviction of Russ Faria.

Faria was imprisoned for more than three years for the 2011 murder of his wife Betsy. Merkel provided key testimony in that trial and Faria’s retrial where he was found innocent, indicating blood had been cleaned up from the crime scene. However, he testified in both trials a camera malfunction resulted in photos taken at the crime scene of showing “absolutely nothing.” However, during the retrial, Faria’s defense attorney Joel Schwartz produced 132 photos that contradicted Merkel’s testimony.

In addition to the harassment and stalking charges, Merkel has since been charged with the Class A felony of perjury resulting in a murder conviction.

He posted a $50,000 cash-only bond to secure his release on that charge.

His attorney, Joel Eisenstein, filed a motion with the court to amend conditions of that bond requiring him to wear a GPS-monitoring bracelet and remain under house arrest.

“A GPS and home confinement is clearly a punishment, and certainly not an appropriate condition … especially considering the alleged charges occurred over twelve (12) years ago.,” Eisenstein argued in his bond reduction motion. “Were this Defendant a danger to the community, why would the prosecuting authority allow him to be at large for such an extended period of time?”

Eisenstein continued by arguing since imposition of the bond conditions, Merkel lost his job due “to his inability to travel to service his clientele; and, having lost his job, Defendant and his family have lost their health insurance coverage.”

And with school starting next week, Eisenstein said Merkel needs to be able to transport his children to and from school.

Merkel’s bond reduction hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.