Talic Mersina: Man Convicted in Sterling Heights Killing

Talic Mersina, a 31-year-old pregnant woman from Sterling Heights, Michigan, was killed in March 2024, and her unborn child died with her. On Friday, October 16, 2026, a Macomb County jury found her boyfriend, Damarion Winston Goler, 33, guilty of second-degree murder, homicide causing the death of an unborn fetus, and tampering with evidence in a homicide case, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.

The verdict came after a two-week trial and more than two and a half years after Mersina's death. Prosecutors announced the result in a news release on Wednesday, October 21. Goler, who has been held without bond since his arraignment in 2024, is scheduled to be sentenced in December. Two of the counts he was convicted on carry a possible sentence of up to life in prison.

Who Was Talic Mersina?

Talic Mersina was 31 years old and lived in Sterling Heights, a city in Macomb County north of Detroit. News reports describe her as Goler's girlfriend and say she was pregnant at the time of her death. Her unborn child also died, which is why the case carried a separate homicide charge for the loss of the pregnancy.

Public reporting on the case has said little about Mersina's life outside of the court record. What is clear from the prosecutor's statements is that her family waited more than two and a half years for a verdict. In announcing the verdict, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido spoke directly about the people she left behind, saying he hoped the conviction "brings some measure of closure to the victims' family."

What Happened in Sterling Heights?

According to WDIV Local 4 and CBS Detroit, authorities said Mersina was fatally stabbed near the door of the apartment she shared with Goler, in the area of 18 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue. WDIV reported that police went to the apartment around 3 a.m. for a welfare check and found no one inside. Reports give slightly different dates for that night: WDIV and CBS Detroit placed it on March 24, 2024, while The Detroit News reported March 23.

Later that day, Clinton Township police were called to an apartment complex parking lot near Harper Avenue and Glenwood Street, where Goler's mother lived. There, according to WDIV, officers found Goler and Mersina in her car. Goler was arrested. Mersina and her unborn child were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

What Was Goler Charged With?

Goler was arraigned on March 27, 2024, in 41-A District Court in Sterling Heights, according to C&G Newspapers. At that point he faced four counts: second-degree murder, assault of a pregnant individual causing a miscarriage, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of an individual. Bond was denied, and he was sent to the Macomb County Jail, where he has remained.

When the charges were filed, Lucido said in a statement reported by CBS Detroit that "The defendant allegedly chose to take the life of his pregnant girlfriend, someone who trusted and loved him." At that stage the allegations were unproven, and Goler was entitled to the presumption of innocence until the case was decided in court.

What Did the Jury Decide?

After the two-week trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on three counts: second-degree murder, homicide causing the death of an unborn fetus, and tampering with evidence in a homicide case. The Detroit News reported that the murder and fetal homicide counts each carry up to life in prison, while the evidence-tampering count is a felony punishable by up to 10 years.

Reports on the verdict did not say what happened to the concealing-a-death count that was listed at the arraignment, and MotiveX has not been able to confirm its status. Goler's attorney, Gary Kennedy of the Macomb County Public Defender's Office, was not immediately available for comment, according to The Detroit News.

What Police and Prosecutors Have Said

In his statement on the verdict, Lucido acknowledged that a conviction cannot reverse what the family lost. He said that "no verdict can undo the tragic loss or erase the pain this family has endured." Prosecutors have not publicly described a motive, and none is included here.

What Happens Next

Goler is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Thursday, December 3, 2026, before Judge Matthew P. Sabaugh, according to WDIV. He remains in custody until then. As in any criminal case, he may have the right to appeal after sentencing.

Cases like Mersina's are a reminder that intimate partner violence against pregnant women is a real and serious danger. Anyone in the United States who is worried about their own safety in a relationship can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by texting START to 88788.

Timeline of the Talic Mersina Case

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was convicted in the death of Talic Mersina?

Damarion Winston Goler, 33, of Sterling Heights, her boyfriend. A Macomb County jury found him guilty on October 16, 2026.

What was Damarion Goler convicted of?

Second-degree murder, homicide causing the death of an unborn fetus, and tampering with evidence in a homicide case, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.

When will Damarion Goler be sentenced?

Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2026. The murder and fetal homicide counts each carry up to life in prison, according to The Detroit News.

Where did the case take place?

Authorities said Mersina was killed at the couple's apartment in Sterling Heights, Michigan. She and Goler were later found in her car in Clinton Township, where Goler was arrested.

MotiveX covers cases like this in documentary form on YouTube.

Sources

• WDIV ClickOnDetroit: Jury convicts Sterling Heights man in death of pregnant girlfriend
• The Detroit News (via Yahoo News): Sterling Heights man convicted in pregnant girlfriend's death
• CBS Detroit: Man arraigned in death of pregnant girlfriend and unborn child (2024)
• C&G Newspapers: Sterling Heights man accused in pregnant girlfriend's death (2024)