MARBLEHEAD — A judge on Friday refused to reduce the bail of a Marblehead man charged in a bizarre stabbing with a pair of steak knives in Hammond Park earlier this month.
Anthony Merrill, 22, of Lynn remains held on $25,000 cash bail in what appears from court papers to have been an unprovoked attack inside the park on the evening of Aug. 4.
That's when police say Merrill, holding two steak knives, came up behind a 28-year-old Salem man who had gone to the park at around 9 p.m. to meet a friend.
A Marblehead woman walking her dog said she had seen a man walking around in the park earlier, then noticed the same man, holding two shiny objects in his hands, approaching the victim and then "rushing" him from behind.
She told police she first thought that the men were involved in some sort of "war game."
The victim told police that he thought he'd been struck by a rock or a brick and then began running after his assailant, only to be spotted by the friend he'd gone to meet at the park.
That man, a 47-year-old Marblehead resident, yelled out to the victim that he had a knife sticking out of his back.
The victim stopped, pulled the knife out and took a few more steps, as his assailant continued running away. He was last seen turning right onto Gregory Street.
When police arrived, according to a report, they found two bloody knives, one near the scene of the stabbing and one near where a crowd of bystanders had gathered near the victim.
The victim suffered two stab wounds to his back and was taken to Salem Hospital.
Meanwhile, police canvassed the area and interviewed witnesses, getting information and a description that eventually led them to include Merrill's photo in an array of pictures shown to the victim and other witnesses.
The victim selected Merrill's photo and he was arrested on Aug. 11 on charges of attempted murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Following the arrest, Marblehead police refused to release any details about the case, saying it was an ongoing investigation. The incident itself was not included in the police log e-mailed to The Salem News for that date.
Merrill has been held on the same $25,000 cash bail since his arraignment in Lynn District Court.
On Friday, he appealed that bail in Salem Superior Court, but Judge Timothy Feeley refused to consider reducing the bail. Merrill has a prior record that includes several restraining orders and numerous defaults on court appearances.
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